What Are Friends For?
by Livangel16
Summary: Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. DickieXOC,E/0
1. Chapter 1

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home.

Author's Note: Hey all! So, this is my first FanFic story ever, so reviews are crucial! This story just came to my head, and I decided to write it down and share it! I've done the first three chapters of this story, but I'm only posting the first one to see what the reaction to the story is! Also might post my new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story soon, so look out for that! Enjoy, and please review! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter One

_April 16__th__, 1990_

_ At Mercy General Hospital, Detective Elliott Stabler paced anxiously in the waiting room while his wife, Kathy, was seated, reading a magazine. Elliott's good friend, Gregory Thomas and his wife, Diana were expecting their first child and had insisted on Kathy and Elliott being there when the baby was born._

_"Elliott, calm down!" his wife, Kathy, laughed, looking up from the magazine. "You weren't this anxious when I was in labor with Dickie!"_

"_You're right," Elliott teased, giving Kathy a quick kiss on the lips. "I was worse." The smile vanished, and he glanced at his watch again. _

"_Ten hours and counting," Elliott said aloud, causing an amused look to appear on his wife's face._

"_This is why I sometimes wish men were able to get pregnant," she snickered. "Then you'd see how hard it is to push something that's grown inside you for months out into the world."_

"_Mr. and Mrs. Stabler?" a nurse called. Kathy immediately stood and walked over with her husband to the nurse's station._

"_Yes? Has the baby come?" Elliott asked anxiously._

"_Yes," the nurse said, smiling. "They're in Room 736. Just down the hall and on your right."_

_The couple walked down a long hallway and finally found room 736. Gregory Thomas was standing at Diana's bedside, his dark hair still styled the same way it had been in the Marines, his brown eyes a bit tired but otherwise elated. Diana's auburn hair was loose and damp-looking, and her caramel-colored cheeks were flushed, but her proud, motherly smile blazed like a fire when she looked down at the tiny, wrapped-up bundle of joy in her arms._

"_Elliott! Kathy! Come in and say hello!" Gregory whispered excitedly, careful at not wanting to wake up his newborn child. The two stepped into the room and walked over to the bed. It was then that they noticed the pink blanket the child was wrapped in._

"_Guess that means it's still gonna be just us and Dickie for those games of catch on Sundays," Elliott joked._

"_A little girl! Oh, she's so adorable!" Kathy cooed softly, peering into the blanket at the sleeping baby. Her eyes were closed, but her face was round and cute with little tufts of hair peeking out at them. Her small lips glistened with drool, but that only made her more adorable. "What's her name?"_

"_Rosemary Katherine Gabriella Thomas," Diana replied, smiling at her friend. "Rosemary for Greg's mother, Katherine for you, and Gabriella for my great-grandmother."_

"_May I…could I… hold her?" Kathy asked._

"_Of course, Kath," Diana answered and handed her little Rosemary. Kathy snuggled the baby close to her, cooing softly. Elliott stood beside her and smiled down at the tiny, sleeping infant._

"_Here, El," Kathy whispered, holding out the baby to her husband. "You hold her, too." _

"_You have to get used to holding your goddaughter anyways," Greg teased. _

"_Goddaughter?" Elliott repeated, surprised._

"_Of course!" Greg whispered. "The minute the subject of godparents came up with my mother, you and Kathy were the first names out of my mouth!"_

"_And I couldn't think of anybody more deserving of it than you two!" Diana added, smiling._

"_You will be her godparents, right?" Greg asked._

"_Greg, all you had to do was ask," Elliott chuckled, smiling down at his goddaughter in his arms._

"_I think the kids will like her," Kathy said to Elliott. "Kathleen and Maureen will be like her big sisters, and Dickie and Lizzie will have a playmate." Elliot smiled and nodded. __**You're gonna go places, Rosie,**__he thought to himself, looking into the child's face. __**There's something in this face of yours that just tells me you're gonna go places, kid. And I'll be there whenever you need me, Rosie. That's a promise.**_

_Fourteen years later…_

_ "You're moving to Canada?" Richard "Dickie" Stabler shouted in shock._

_ "Sh! Rich! Keep your voice down!" Rosemary Thomas hissed, looking at the stairs. "I don't want your sisters to know just yet!"_

_ "I __**can't **__believe this!"_

_ "I can't believe it either, Rich," Rosemary said glumly. They were sitting on the couch together at Dickie's house doing their English homework together like they always did. Richard, who she called Rich and who also went by Dickie, was always teasing her about being such a good writer, and that she could make serious money off of her "gift with the written word". She didn't even know what he'd said to her that'd made her just blurt out the news. She'd wanted to tell him as soon as Elliott got in from work so that she could tell everyone together, but then he'd called and said that he'd be home late thanks to a rapist terrorizing women on the Lower East Side every two nights. Her father, an A.D.A. who sometimes worked with Manhattan Special Victims Unit, would probably tell him when he saw him._

_ "When are you leaving?" Dickie asked._

_ "June seventh."_

_ "Right before the end of the school year? This sucks!"_

_ "I know, Rich. Believe me, I know."_

_ "I thought your folks were happy here in New York!" Dickie argued. He didn't want to lose her, his best friend. Sure, he had his boys, but they weren't like Rosemary. With guys, there were certain things, certain issues that you just couldn't bring up with them without getting either weird looks or ridiculed. But with Rosemary, things were different. With her, he could talk to her about anything in the world: sports, cars, school, girls, and the list went on and on. When he felt confused or angry about something, she was the attentive ear he poured all of his feelings into. She gave him sound advice and was always there for him whenever he needed her. She was a true friend. _

_But lately, Richard had started having different feelings towards her. He noticed how warm he felt when she smiled at him, how cute her laugh was, how pretty she looked when the light hit her in a certain way. But he pushed those thoughts away. He didn't want to ruin their friendship by acting on those feelings._

"_Yeah. Me too. I thought that after fourteen years here in Queens, we were staying put. For good. I was planning on applying to NYU or Hudson to study international law and commerce in a few years. Guess that's never gonna happen now."_

_ "This doesn't make sense! My parents are your godparents. Our families have been friends since…forever it seems. Auntie Diana and Uncle Greg would've told Mom and Dad they were moving away! Wouldn't they?"_

"_I guess."_

"_And everything seemed normal enough last week when you guys came for Sunday dinner."_

"_I thought so, too. But then, last week Wednesday, this package arrived for Mom, and when she opened it, she freaked out and called Dad. He came home right away, even though he was in the middle of trial prep with a witness. I overheard them talking about it when I came home from school. Mom sounded so scared, and Dad said, "Don't worry. We're going to go somewhere that he can't find us." Then, they called me into the living room the next day and told me we were going to be moving to Toronto. I told them they could leave me here, because I wasn't going anywhere." _

_Dickie couldn't help but chuckle. Rosemary, he'd been told by his father many times, may have inherited a lot of her traits as well as her beauty from her mother, but she got her stubbornness, without a doubt, from her father._

"_I asked them who "he" was, and you should've seen their faces. They didn't answer me and told me not to worry, that they were doing what was best for all of us. I told them that staying here was what was best for all of us. I told them that Elliott would __**never**__ let anyone hurt us, that he'd do everything he could to protect us. But they wouldn't listen. I told them that it would mess up my grades, but they said they'd take care of it. They __**never**__ listen to me."_

"_Adults. They think teenagers don't know what they're talking about."_

"_Tell me about it. But anyways, I'd better tell Kathy."_

"_Sure. Do you want me to come with you?"_

"_Rich, that's sweet of you, but I think I can handle it on my own."_

"_Alright. You know she and Dad are gonna raise Hell, right?"_

"_Oh yeah. __**Big time**__." She got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen to find Kathy._

_June 7__th__, 2004…_

_The movers pulled down the door of the large U-Haul truck that was parked in the driveway, locking it and making sure it was secure enough before they hit the road. Rosemary looked back at the quaint house she'd lived in for the past fourteen years of her life. Elliott, Kathy and all of the Stabler kids had tried to persuade her Mom and Dad __**not**__ to move away, but Mom was dead set on leaving, and even Dad couldn't be persuaded by Elliott's "The-police-can-protect-you" line. What Rosemary wanted to know was who they needed protection from._

"_You're gonna miss it, aren't you?" Dickie said, his question sounding more like a fact. Rosemary nodded, trying to hold back tears. Almost unconsciously, Dickie put his arm around her shoulders, giving her a one-armed squeeze. Rosemary could feel the strength of his muscled arm. He'd started working out to gain some muscle mass for baseball season. He was getting buffer and getting more attention from the girls at their school. __**I guess now their chances of going out with him will be much better with me gone,**__ she thought silently to herself. __**Wait, what?**__How could she be thinking like that? Rich was cute, with his dark hair and dazzling blue eyes, athletic, intelligent, sweet, charming and funny. But he was her best friend. And best friends who went out with each other often didn't work out and ended up ruining everything between them. She didn't want that to happen to her and Rich, no matter how her heart swooped when he hugged her, when her skin felt warmer than a lit candle when he looked at her, how that twinge of jealousy flared up whenever she saw him talking to another girl. It couldn't happen. Not now, not ever._

"_I'm really gonna miss you, Rose," he told her, his voice sounding so sad that she finally let the tears flow freely down her cheeks. Dickie gathered her up in his arms, hugging her tightly. She hugged him back, allowing her tears to soak his shirt. Diana and Greg watched Dickie Stabler hold their daughter in his arms. The boy was almost like a son to them. They'd miss him, but not as badly as their daughter obviously would._

"_C'mon, Rosie! Time to go!" her father called to the young teenager. Rosemary sniffled, wiped away her tears, and then kissed Dickie softly and gently on the cheek._

"_I'm coming back, Dickie," she whispered to him, unaware of the shiver that was running down his spine from the touch of her lips on his cheek. This was his chance, probably his last chance ever, to tell her how he felt face-to-face. He opened his mouth to let his feelings flow out onto his tongue, but something else came out._

"_I know. Keep in touch, Rose," was all he told her. No confession of his feelings, of how much of a hole her moving away would leave in his heart. Nothing but "I know" and "keep in touch". _

_She nodded and then pulled away from him, Dickie feeling colder with every step she took away from him. She climbed into her father's Lexus and knelt on the back seat to look out the rear window. Hands pressed against the glass, her face sad and gloomy, Dickie barely heard the moving truck or the car roar to life. All he could do was watch as first the moving van and then the Lexus pulled out of the driveway. Dickie raised his hand in farewell and watched as Rosemary's car drove down the street past his house. He wondered if his mother and sisters were on their front lawn, waving goodbye to the people who were practically family. Then, the truck and the car turned the corner and Rosemary Katherine Gabriella Thomas, his best friend, was gone._


	2. Chapter 2

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Hey! So, only got 2 reviews so far, but I'm still going on with the story! Thanks to Becky1691 and Queen S of Randomness 016 for reviewing! And for all you E/O fans out there, there will be E/O romance in this story, so join the fun and read and review! Reviews are crucial for me guys, so please review! Now, on to the story!**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Two

_Three years later…_

Rosemary Thomas looked out the window of her private jet at the towering skyscrapers and enormous buildings that were visible even from John F. Kennedy International Airport. It had been a long time since she'd been in New York City. Ages, it felt like. The city felt so foreign, and yet, so familiar. She was anxious to get off of the plane and see the sights she'd seen in her dreams; breathe in the smells of the city that were triggered at the rarest and briefest of times: the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the smell of hot dogs cooking on a street vendor's grill, the exhaust fumes and honking horns of cars, cabs, buses and trucks during the rush hour, the brightly lit skyline; everything that made New York "the city that never sleeps".

But there was one thing, or rather _person_, she'd missed more than all those sights and sounds. Her best friend. Four, long years had passed since they'd seen each other. Even though Facebook had made it easier for them to stay in touch [they talked online almost every day for at least 3-4 hours], it wasn't the same as seeing each other, being able to see the expression on each other's faces after they said something; _being_ _together_.

Suddenly, Rosemary felt her Iphone 4S vibrating. Taking it out of the pocket of her jeans, she tapped the screen and saw that she had a new text message. Unlocking the phone, she read the names on both of them and gasped, almost dropping the phone onto the carpeted floor of the jet.

"Are you alright, Miss Thomas?" Darrell Donnelly, her bodyguard asked, looking as though he was going to get up and rush to her side.

"No, Darrell. It's fine," she reassured him. Looking skeptical, Darrell returned to the book he had been reading. Rosemary could tell that he was tense like a lion waiting to pounce on its prey.

Rosemary read the name one more time before she tapped on the message. It opened and Rosemary read the text:

_ Welcome home! Time's passed, and you've blossomed, Rose. I'm still the ugly duckling. Can't wait 2 see u though! Really missed u! __:)__ -Rich_

Rosemary smiled. He'd always been putting himself down since he'd hit puberty. Even though all of her friends back in Toronto thought he was super cute, he still didn't see himself as anything above "average". Rich had a girlfriend who looked like a supermodel, but even then, her best friend never saw himself as "good enough" to compete with the jocks and pretty boys in his high school, despite her reassuring him twenty times a day over Facebook that he could easily take them.

"Miss Thomas. Your car is here," the pilot informed her. His smooth, deep voice combined with his gorgeous blond hair and green eyes made Rosemary's cheeks flush red. He held out a hand to help her up. She took it and allowed him to haul her up and out of her seat.

"Your baggage has already been unloaded and packed," he continued as she grabbed her Louis Vuitton purse from the seat beside the one she'd been sitting in. "And the car will take you straight to your hotel. I'll be flying down again in two weeks to bring you back home. I hope your stay in New York is a good one, ma'am."

"Thank you, er…" Rosemary felt like such a nitwit. She didn't even know her own pilot's name. But he just smiled and said, "Frederic." She smiled and nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Frederic."

"My pleasure, Miss Thomas." He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on it. His green eyes sparkled like emeralds at the sight of her blushing cheeks.

"Alright. Alright. Let's get going, Miss Thomas," Darrell interrupted. "Shouldn't keep the driver waiting. Captain," he added, throwing Frederic a stern look.

"Mr. Donnelly," Captain Frederic replied coolly, releasing Rosemary's hand. He then hurried off.

"Do you **always** have to be so overprotective?" she snapped playfully at Darrell.

"That man's old enough to be your father!" he whispered to her sternly. "Flirting with a seventeen year old! What the hell's wrong with people these days?"

"**I **thought he was cute," Rosemary teased.

"**You** need to be more careful, Miss Thomas," Darrell told her bluntly. "You're too trusting, and believe it or not, one day, that's going to get you into trouble."

"Geez, Darrell! No need to be such a stick-in-the-mud!"

"I'm only doing my job: protecting you. **Especially** from guys like that who probably have wives or girlfriends at home!"

"Sorry, Darrell. I didn't mean to get you so angry."

"You're a teenager, kid. It's your job to push my buttons. Just like it's my job to make sure you stay safe in this crazy city. Now, let's get going. You said you had some "old friends" to catch up with. Better not keep 'em waiting."

Grabbing her purse, Rosemary put on her dark sunglasses and made her way to the open door of the jet. The flashing of cameras and the melee of voices asking her questions, begging her to look in one direction and then another, greeted her as she descended down the steps, Darrell close behind her. _Great!_ she thought to herself. _The number one drawback to being rich and famous: the paparazzi! Don't these vultures ever go to sleep or eat or do anything else besides stalking people?_

Finally, after battling through the sea of paparazzi, Rosemary and Darrell managed to make it to the black town car parked close to the gates. The driver quickly opened the door and Rosemary slid in first while Darrell made himself into a human shield, arms outstretched, blocking the young author from the view of their cameras. Then, he jumped in and closed the door. Almost immediately, the driver got in, started the engine, and the town car cruised out of JFK and headed along Interstate 678 towards Manhattan.

"Where to, Miss Thomas?" the driver asked.

"NYPD's 16th Precinct, sir," Rosemary answered.

"Manhattan Special Victims Unit's precinct? Yes, ma'am," the driver replied, nodding.

"Don't you want to drop off your luggage at The Plaza Hotel first?" Darrell inquired.

"It's not that far from Manhattan SVU, so I can always go later, Darrell," Rosemary reasoned. "Besides, like you said: I have some "old friends" to catch up with. And a lot of those friends are at Manhattan SVU's command post right now."

Darrell shrugged and said nothing. Rosemary's thoughts turned to her godfather, Detective Elliott Stabler and her godmother, Kathy. She hadn't seen them in a long time, but she'd heard from Rich that he suspected that things weren't going well between his parents. And he was a pretty smart guy, so she took his word for it. Of course, like the detective she planned to be in the future, she would keep her eyes and ears open for any hints to a breaking down of their marriage. She didn't like the idea of Elliott and Kathy splitting up. They'd been like second parents to her since she was a baby.

Maureen and Kathleen were both busy at Hudson University, but she'd talked to them a few days before she'd left for New York. She was glad to hear from them, especially Kathleen. Lizzie was excited to have her coming home for a visit. The four girls had always been close since they were kids, but the three Stabler sisters were nowhere near as close as Rosemary and Dickie were. Dickie. Rich. Richard. Her best friend. The guy she could always depend on. She pulled out her phone and clicked on the text she'd gotten from him. She smiled and replied: _Can't wait to see u either, Rich! It's been too long! Missed u, too! __:) __ -Rose_

_And trust me, Rich,_ she thought to herself as the town car cruised along the interstate with dozens of other cars, trucks and a few coach buses towards Manhattan. _I've missed you more than you know!_

__**Next chapter takes place at SVU's precinct. Hopefully, I'll have it up later today. And...reviews please! **


	3. Chapter 3

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Hello again! First, thanks again to Becky1691 and Queen S of Randomness 016 for reviewing! Guys, if you have readers, could you please tell them to at least _look_ at my story? Thanks! I _really_ want more people to read this! This chapter and the next two happen during the events of the episode "Wannabe" in season 11… with a few twists. I know Dickie hasn't made an appearance yet, but hold on. He will be coming in soon along with another of my o/c!**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Three

The city seemed to have gotten larger in the past three years. Even after the attacks which changed not just the United States but the world itself, New York seemed to be expanding at an even more rapid rate than before September 11th. Rosemary smiled as the towering skyscrapers stood proudly against the blue, sunny skies of the warm, June day; as cabs, cars, bicycles and buses zoomed along the streets, as people teemed on the sidewalks and crosswalks like ants. This was the city she'd missed, the city she'd longed to return to. Toronto could be busy, especially the downtown core. But it couldn't touch The Big Apple.

The driver turned right and finally, the building she'd been looking for appeared on the left hand side of the street. Still a towering five-story building, the precinct of the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit in Manhattan looked just like she remembered it. Of course, inside had probably been renovated and upgraded to keep up with the times, but it felt as though time had stood still and preserved the exterior of the building, maybe somehow sensing that she, Rosemary Thomas, would one day return to SVU's precinct and visit her friends, who were more like her family.

"Here we are, ma'am," the driver informed her, parking along the sidewalk close to the building.

"Need me to come with you, kid?" Darrell asked.

"I'll be fine, Darrell," Rosemary reassured him as the driver opened the door for her. "Could you just make sure everything's in order at the hotel and that my bags are taken up to my suite?"

"Of course."

"Thanks." With that, she climbed out of the car, purse in hand, and hurried inside the building. She watched as the driver climbed back in and drove off with Darrell to The Plaza Hotel. It didn't take her long to find the elevators. She thanked her lucky stars that she was still wearing her sunglasses. She'd had about half a dozen people stop and stare openly at her, but they'd quickly moved on. She pressed the button for the 3rd floor and the doors slid shut.

* * *

Rosemary walked into the 16th Precinct's squad room, eyes searching for any familiar faces, particularly her godfather's. She passed by a couple of rookie officers, who looked up from their paperwork and eyed her with interest. But they didn't dare call out to her. Not in the Manhattan Special Victims Unit precinct, where rape, molestation, child abuse and other sex crimes were the order of the day every day. It would've been breaking an unwritten rule, and Captain Donald Cragen, the commander of the Special Victims Unit, would've had their heads on a silver platter.

"Well, well, well! Look who's decided to grace us with her presence after almost four years on the north side of the border!" said a familiar voice. Rosemary turned and saw Sergeant John Munch, one of her godfather's colleagues and friends, sitting at a desk with another of Elliott's friends and a new guy she didn't remember. Maybe he'd transferred in. She smiled at Munch.

"Still as sarcastic as ever I see, John," she replied, earning a laugh from the African-American detective sitting next to him and the new cop. The aging police sergeant got up and hugged the young woman.

"How are you, Rosemary?" he asked her when they broke apart.

"I can't complain," she answered honestly.

"I'll bet," Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola chuckled. "Internationally famous, rich beyond your wildest dreams, and good-looking and intelligent to boot. You're living the American dream, girl!"

"How've you been, Fin?" she inquired, going over and hugging the African-American detective, a former narcotics cop and expert in undercover work when it came to drugs and gangs.

"Still here with this sack of bones," Fin replied, jerking his thumb at Munch. "But other than that, I can't complain." She laughed, and then her eyes fell on the young cop who was sitting at a typewriter, doing some paperwork.

"Those things still exist?" she joked, earning a bright smile from him.

"Tell me about it!" he laughed. "I never even saw one of these things growing up as a kid!"

"Rosemary, meet Officer Fletcher from the 2-7," Fin said, pointing to the young cop. He was dark-haired with a round face and dark eyes that seemed to shimmer in the light of the squad room. He was wearing an NYPD uniform complete with cuffs, badge and a gun. He was buff, not overly buff like he was abusing steroids, but had enough muscle to make Rosemary's eyes rove slowly over him. No doubt about it, this guy was _cute_. She started to wonder if she'd re-applied her lip gloss when she was in the elevator; or if she'd put on her _Angel_ perfume that morning before heading for Pearson International Airport back in Toronto.

"Kid, this here's…" Fin started.

"Rosemary Thomas," Officer Fletcher finished, standing up and taking Rosemary's hand in his. His palms weren't velvety smooth, but had a sort of roughness from hard work and labor. He was becoming more and more attractive by the minute. He held her hand in both of his.

"My little sister is a huge fan of your _Monster Academy_ series," he told her. She smiled and blushed. "Plus, all of my friends think you're pretty hot."

"Thank you, Officer Fletcher," she said, her cheeks turning redder.

"Better cool yer heels right now, killer," Fin advised, hiding a chuckle. "Otherwise, Stabler might go ape on you when he sees Rosemary and you not separated by a three-foot barrier of concrete." Both John and Fin laughed when they saw Officer Fletcher's confused face.

"You may have just taken a rapist off the street, but that won't grant you immunity from Elliott's wrath if he catches you hitting on his goddaughter," John added.

"He did what?" Rosemary asked, looking surprised and impressed.

"Officer Fletcher here just caught a serial rapist on his first job as a cop," Fin informed her. Fletcher looked down and then looked back up at the young woman. Gosh, she was beautiful! And she was smiling. At _him_. She was _smiling_ at _him_!

"I was just doing my job, ma'am," he replied modestly, trying not to blush.

"Wow. I'd love to hear all about the case…maybe over dinner tonight?" she asked, giving him her "flirtatious" smile. Her godfather, Elliott, had always told her: "With a smile like that, getting married is gonna be the least of your problems."

"Sure! I mean, alright," Officer Fletcher replied, trying not to look too excited. "Though talking about a perverted bastard isn't really the best conversation to have with a lovely woman over dinner!" Rosemary laughed and smiled even wider.

"Great!" She took a piece of paper from John's notepad and a pen and wrote down the address and name of the hotel she was staying at and her cell phone number. She handed it to the young rookie.

"My hotel and my cell number," she told him. "Is the Captain in, John?" she asked the sergeant.

"He should be in his office," John responded. Rosemary smiled in thanks and winked at Officer Fletcher before sauntering off to find Captain Cragen. John and Fin turned to Officer Fletcher with impressed looks on their faces.

"Your first day on the job, and you've already bagged a serial rapist **and** scored a date with a rich, beautiful author," Fin observed, eyeing Fletcher, who was gripping the paper in his hand tightly. "You got game, player!"

"I wish I'd had that kind of luck on **my **first day," John whined sarcastically.

"You probably won't even get that kind of luck on your **last **day," Fin joked. Officer Fletcher laughed before staring at the paper in his hand. He stowed it away in his pocket before Fin turned to asking him about his arrest of the suspect.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't the famous Rosemary Thomas!" Don chuckled happily, rising from behind his desk and coming around to hug the young woman who'd been like the daughter he'd never had. Whenever Stabler had brought her around the precinct as a kid to visit, Don felt like the father he'd never gotten a chance to be. She would look at his pictures with important dignitaries and ask, "Who's that?" and then he'd tell her all about the person in the picture and why the picture was taken. She would smile and say, "You're a good man, Uncle Don. I like you a lot."

"Uncle Don! How have you been?" she asked, hugging the captain tightly.

"Stressed from these perverts and these bureaucratic dicks, pardon my French, we put into power with our votes crawling up my ass! But other than that, I'm doing well," Don replied. Then, he smiled. "I don't think I need to ask the _New York Times Bestselling Author_ Rosemary Thomas how she's doing. You're here for a book signing?"

"And to visit," she quickly added. "I've been away for too long. And when this book signing thing came up, I decided to come and spend some time back home. Plus, Hudson University invited me to come and speak to the students in their creative writing program next week."

"So, how are Diana and Gregory?"

"They're good. Mum says hi. Dad's been busy at work, but he called last night on the plane and said they might come down next week to hear me speak at Hudson."

"Tell your father that if he wants an A.D.A job, we've got an opening in SVU coming up," Don chuckled darkly. Samantha frowned.

"What happened to Casey Novak?" she inquired.

"She was attacked in her office," Don answered. "She'll make a full recovery, but she's gone. For now."

"And Alex?" she prodded. Don fell silent. Rosemary knew about the whole fiasco with Cesar Valez, a Colombian drug lord who, after the arrest and prosecution of his main man, Raphael Zapata, had ordered a hit on Alex Cabot, their old A.D.A. before Casey. What she didn't know was that Alex had come back to help prosecute Liam Connors, the man who'd been hired to kill her and had murdered four people plus almost killed a child. Then, she'd left, moved by the Marshals. She'd returned briefly only to be gone to the Congo to head a new International Criminal tribunal in the "rape capital of the world".

"She's not coming back, Rosemary," Don answered in a low voice. "Not for a while."

"So, who's your temporary A.D.A. now?"

"That'd be me, kid," said a female voice with authority. Rosemary turned and saw a dark-blonde woman standing behind her, her brown eyes serious, her face oval, and her complexion creamy. She was tall, even without the two-inch heels she wore in black to her pantsuit. She was pretty, but she also had an air of toughness to her that made Rosemary look at her with admiration and respect.

"A.D.A. Jo Marlowe," she introduced, stretching out her hand. Rosemary took it and the two women shook hands. "You're Diana and Gregory Thomas's daughter, aren't you?"

"How did you know that?" Rosemary questioned.

"Your godfather's my old partner," she answered, smiling. "Whenever we were out on patrol, he'd always talk about his buddy, Greg and his girl, Diana. He called me not long after you were born and told me the news. I said to him, "Well of course Greg was gonna name you godfather, El! He didn't think anyone could scare the living crap out of the kid better than you!""

Rosemary laughed. "Luckily, I haven't done anything warranting him to scare the living crap out of me!"

"I'd advise that you keep it that way, young lady," Don chuckled. "Elliott's not someone you want to get angry. You'll regret it, believe me. I've had to pull him off of too many perps because of his short fuse!" Just then, a familiar voice wafted in through the open door.

"If we don't nail that son of a bitch, I'm tellin' ya, 'Liv, the next girl he rapes is gonna die!" Elliott shouted. Don quickly looked at Rosemary, who nodded and smiled. He quickly walked around his desk past the two women and stood at the door of his office.

"Elliott! In here! NOW!" Don commanded in a serious tone.

"What'd you do this time?" Munch asked him. Rosemary heard a curt, "Shut up, John!" before Elliott stormed into his captain's office, almost knocking Rosemary into Jo Marlowe.

"Captain, before you say anything, I…" Elliott began to say, but Don immediately interrupted him.

"Before **you** say anything, I think you should apologize to the young lady you nearly knocked over, Detective," Don informed him, smiling a little. Elliott turned around and saw a teenage girl of seventeen years with shoulder-length, auburn locks and stunning, emerald-green eyes. Her skin was a shade of cocoa, and her smiling face had two dimples on each side of her smooth, round face. He was so shocked that his jaw dropped to the floor.

"Rosie?" Elliott breathed in shock. The young girl smiled.

"Hey, Elliott! Miss me?"

**So, Brad Fletcher and Rosemary are going out on a date (stay tuned for that!). Thoughts? Next chapter, I _promise_ Dickie (and my other o/c) will make an appearance! Also, a little bit of E/O to come as well. If there are no concerns or questions, reviews please!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Hello again! First, thanks again to Becky1691, daisydadog and Queen S of Randomness 016 for reviewing! Guys, if you have readers, could you please tell them to at least _look_ at my story? Thanks! I _really_ want more people to read this! So, now the moment has come: Rosemary _finally_ meets Dickie...and his girlfriend (my other o/c)! Also, hinting at E/O relationship I promised. Let the story...begin!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Four

"Hey, Elliott! Miss me?"

Miss her? There wasn't a day that went by when Rosemary didn't pop into his and Kathy's minds. When she and Greg and Di had moved away, he and Kathy had felt like they'd lost a daughter. In fact, his whole family seemed to have changed in her absence. Kathleen and Maureen both buried themselves in extra-curricular activities and school work, Lizzie was up in her room more often than usual, and Dickie was hanging out more with his baseball friends and his girlfriend, Isabelle. Sure, he'd call and talk to Greg and Diana and Rosemary, but it wasn't the same as them being here. He missed the Sunday ball games with him, Greg and Dickie. He missed Sunday dinner with Greg and his family after a long day of church. Now, she was back, and Elliott felt as though a weight had dropped off his shoulders; a weight he hadn't known he'd been carrying until now.

"Hell yeah I missed you!" he shouted, grabbing his goddaughter up in his arms and crushing her in a huge, bear hug. She giggled and he laughed for the first time in a while. He would've spun her around, but the small space which was the Captain's office was no place to do that.

"Ok, El! No need to send the girl to hospital after she just got here!" chuckled a female voice. Rosemary turned and saw Olivia Benson, Elliott's partner and best friend, standing in the doorway. Her brown, shoulder-length hair was shiny and fresh, and her tanned skin glowed with health. Her eyes were bright and their usual brilliant shade of brown. Slender and yet physically strong, courageous, passionate, funny and sweet, Olivia, in Rosemary's mind, was every man's dream woman; something Rosemary wished she could be…someday.

"Olivia!" she cried, breaking away from Elliott and hugging his partner. She smiled, hugged her back and then held Rosemary away from her to get a good look.

"Wow, Rosemary! You've grown so much! And you've gotten so beautiful!" Olivia observed. Rosemary blushed. Olivia was probably just being nice.

Olivia looked at Elliott with a teasing glint in her eye and kept smiling. "Guess Elliott's gonna have to start going "bad cop" on every guy that so much as looks at you!"

"Hey! I'd be doing that even if she **wasn't** a knockout!" Elliott countered. Rosemary's blush deepened. Why was it that everyone called her beautiful? She was alright-looking, maybe a little above average, but she was nowhere near as beautiful as some of the girls at her school. Or even Richard's girlfriend.

"I'm guessing that Munch and Fin have already said their hellos?" Olivia asked her. She nodded.

"And Officer Fletcher," Rosemary added. Olivia couldn't help but notice the smile on Rosemary's face when she said his name.

"I'm guessing that Officer Fletcher said a little bit more than "hello", Rosemary. Am I right?" Olivia chuckled. Elliott's face went pale. So did Rosemary's. She **knew** how protective he could get with his daughters, and she was practically one of his daughters in everything but blood. This was **not** going to end well.

"Please don't kill him, Elliott!" she begged, turning to face her godfather. Elliott just stared at her; her eyes were wide and fearful, and she was chewing on her bottom lip. She had feelings for this guy. This rookie who'd just caught a serial rapist had managed to worm his way into his goddaughter's heart in less than a few minutes. He didn't like it, but he didn't like the scared look on his goddaughter's face anymore.

"I won't, Rosie," he answered. _Not here, anyways, _he added silently in his head. "But I think Officer Fletcher and I need to have a little **talk**."

"Oh no!" Rosemary moaned, covering his eyes with her hand. Elliott walked out past Olivia, who placed a comforting hand on Rosemary's shoulder.

"Is Officer Fletcher here?" Elliott asked his colleagues. Rosemary peered out and saw that many of the officers and detectives were staring at each other as if Elliott was speaking in Latin. Jo Marlowe poked her head out too and saw the cops' reaction.

"Officer Fletcher? He was just here a minute ago?" Jo prodded. But she got the same response, too. Then, something on the desk made Jo's face go red with rage. Rosemary looked and saw that something in an "Evidence" bag lay on the desk where she'd been talking to Officer Fletcher.

"Shit! This is great!" Jo Marlowe growled, storming over and seizing the evidence.

"Can't we still log it?" Olivia asked, coming over with Rosemary and Elliott on her heels.

"Doesn't matter. Chain of custody's been broken," Marlowe informed her. "No judge will ever allow this to be admitted into evidence." She looked as though she was going to chop off Fletcher's head and serve it on a silver platter. "Don't they teach **any **police procedures at the academy anymore?"

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Jo, but it's 2:15. I've gotta pick up Lizzie and Dickie from school," Elliott broke in. "Kathy's at the doctor's."

"Go on. Munch, Fin and I will track down Fletcher," Olivia told him.

"You sure?" Elliott asked his partner. "I mean, I could always call Kath and see…"

"El, you made a promise to your kids," Olivia reminded him, running her fingers down the length of his arm. Then, her eyes fell on Rosemary and she smiled. "Besides, it'd be a shame for Rosemary not to see her friends after such a long time apart."

Elliot looked at his goddaughter, who gave her "puppy dog" look. Widened eyes, pouty lip; the whole nine. Damn the day when kids learned how to do that trick! He'd never been able to resist it, and right now was no exception.

"Alright. C'mon, Rosie!" Elliott surrendered. Rosemary punched the air happily. Elliott turned back to his partner. "Call me if you need anything," he told her, brushing a bit of her hair away from her face. He was looking at Olivia with what Rosemary noticed was a loving glint in his eye. She smiled to herself. She'd always suspected there was something going on between those two, but she knew her godfather was a faithful guy and wouldn't cheat on his wife. But even though Kathy was her godmother and she loved her almost as much as her birth mother, she couldn't help but think that Elliott and Olivia actually made a good couple, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Whenever he was in one of his legendary rages, only Olivia (and sometimes Uncle Don) seemed to be able to calm him down. Whenever she needed a shoulder to lean on, Elliott was the first to offer his.

"Your goddaughter's waiting," Olivia whispered to her partner, causing Elliott to whip around and see how much of his interaction with Olivia she'd seen. From the smile on her face, Elliott knew he was busted. But how could he explain that things were heading south with Kathy? That he was still with her because of the new baby on the way? That he was in love with Olivia, his partner? He'd find a way, but right then, he grabbed his jacket and guided his goddaughter out of the squad room and towards the elevators.

* * *

During the car ride to Saint Martha Preparatory School where Dickie and Lizzie went, Elliott asked Rosemary about Greg, Diana, school, her writing career so far, and how she felt about returning to New York. Rosemary answered them in as much detail as she could, which seemed to make the drive to the school a lot shorter as soon, they were pulling up to the high school with the best baseball record in the five boroughs. All around, Rosemary saw teenagers milling about, boys hanging with their friends and checking out girls who walked by; girls standing in their little groups and trading stories, gossip and fashion tips. It was summer, so Rosemary saw a lot of short-shorts on the girls, which made her grateful she'd opted for more modest, jean shorts and a shimmery black tank top from Stitches back home. Now, if she could just find him, even catch a glimpse of him, then...

"There they are," Elliott said, pointing in the direction of the front doors. Thanking her stars that the Crown Vic her godfather drove had tinted windows, she looked and felt her breath catch in her throat. Standing there with a group of four boys and a gorgeous blonde beside him was Richard "Dickie" Stabler. Rich. Her best friend. Her boy. The guy she could always count on. He was wearing dark jeans with a muscle tee in grey that fit snug against his muscled chest. His arms were bigger and more defined. His blue eyes were dancing, and his dark hair was gelled and looked slick lying flat on his head. He'd grown over the past three years and would probably tower over her. Still, Rich looked good. No. Good was practically an insult to the guy. He looked _amazing._

Slightly to the right, with two other girls, was Rich's sister, Elizabeth or Lizzie for short. She was blonde, like her mother and sisters, with cute, brown eyes and a shy, beautiful smile. Dressed in capris and a short-sleeved t-shirt in red, Lizzie looked innocent, petite and sweet, and was clutching a sketch book to her chest. Rosemary smiled. Lizzie was a born artist and prized her sketchbook above all other things.

"Lemme call them over," Elliott offered, unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the driver's side door. Rosemary, as fast as a serpent, unbuckled her own seatbelt and was out of the car before Elliott could stop her. **She** wanted to call Dickie over. She wanted him to hear **her** voice, see **her** with his own eyes. She wanted his focus to be on her and only her, for however short a time that may be.

"Lizzie! Richard! It's me! Rosemary!" she shouted, waving an arm at them. Lizzie immediately raced over to the Crown Vic and engulfed Rosemary in a tight hug, the two girls giggling at seeing each other after so long.

"It's **so** good to see you again, Rosie!" she squealed, hugging Rosemary again. Everyone in the Stabler family called Rosemary "Rosie". Except for Dickie, who called her "Rose".

"It's good to see you too, Lizzie!" Rosemary answered. She returned the gesture and then peered over Lizzie's shoulder to look at her older, twin brother. He was staring at her, as if trying to decide whether or not he was dreaming. When she smiled at him, reassuring him that this was real, he raced over to the two girls. His friends looked confused. The blonde looked politely bewildered. Rosemary looked as though she'd just won the lottery. Lizzie barely managed to get out of the way in time before Rosemary and Dickie were in each other's arms, hugging each other tightly. He pulled back and looked her in the face, holding her away from him, his face bright with a huge, warm smile.

"Rose? Tell me I'm not dreaming!" he begged her, his eyes roving over her frantically.

"Trust me, Rich," she giggled. "You're not dreaming. This is real."

"Thank God!" he breathed, pulling her into another hug. She let her hands rest on his chest, subtly feeling the muscles of his chest through the cotton of his shirt. Damn, he'd gotten buff! Being in his arms after so long was like putting on a cashmere sweater and feeling its warm softness against your skin.

"I missed you, Rose!" he whispered to her. "I missed my best friend!"

"Me too, Rich!" she replied back. "Me too!"

"Richie? Who's this?" she heard a high-pitched voice ask. Rosemary felt her seven minutes in heaven come to a complete halt when Dickie completely pulled away from her, and Rosemary was staring at a gorgeous, slender, blonde-haired girl with jade-green eyes and tanned, cashew-colored skin. Her nose was a perfect ski-slope, her fingernails were French-manicured, her cups were at least Ds, and she had plump, pink lips (which Rosemary suspected had been pumped up with Lip Venom). Nevertheless, the white capris she wore with the gold, halter top and the gladiator sandals in black made her look like one of those billboard models for summer wear.

"Izzy, this is my best friend, Rosemary Thomas," Dickie introduced, slinging his arm around the girl's shoulders. "Rose, this is my girlfriend, Isabelle Baptiste: captain of the cheerleading squad and dance queen extraordinaire. She goes by Izzy."

"Hi. Nice to meet you," Rosemary said, holding out her hand. Izzy shook her hand tentatively, and Rosemary suspected that she wasn't too happy about her boyfriend running to hug another girl. Either that, or she didn't want to ruin a fresh manicure job.

"So, you're the girl Dickie's always talking about? It's nice to finally see you in person," Isabelle said. She'd meant it kindly, but there was a tone in her voice that sounded a bit…mocking. As if she'd expected some drop-dead gorgeous girl to appear and challenge her and was now disappointed.

"Richard's told me a lot about you," Rosemary tried again. She wanted to knock the damn, conceited bitch out of her sandals, but she cared about Rich's reaction too much to do it.

"I hope he hasn't been telling you _all _my secrets," she purred, running her nails across Richard's chest. It took everything Rosemary had not to flinch. Rich was politely bemused by his girlfriend's touch, but his hand moved to stroke her hair reassuringly. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed in contentment.

"Nah. I know when to keep my mouth shut, Izzy," he replied jokingly. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss, sending Rosemary's mind reeling. Seeing Richard respond so lovingly was like being stabbed in the back. Sure, there had never been anything between them, but that didn't mean he had to show off in front of her, his best friend.

"Dickie! Break it up and c'mon! We gotta go!" Elliott shouted. At that moment, when Dickie and Isabelle broke apart, Elliott's interruption had been like the voice of God. Not even wanting to hear the sappy goodbyes between those two, Rosemary slid into the backseat and found Lizzie already seated on the far side.

"I can't stand to see them playing tonsil wars," Lizzie said, reading Rosemary's mind. Rosemary sat down in the middle and tried not to sigh. "I don't like her," Lizzie added.

"Lizzie! She's Dickie's girlfriend!" Rosemary admonished.

"She's a total bitch! I heard what she said to you!" Lizzie argued. Then, she sighed. "He can do **so** much better than her, but he seems to be hung up on her looks and the fact that she's really popular!"

"He's a teenage guy. Give him time. He'll come around. And maybe…maybe they were meant for each other."

"No way! God's not stupid! He would **never **put those two together forever! I'd never pray to Him again if He did!"

"Lizzie!"

"I wish he was dating **you**!"

"LIZZIE!"

"What? It's true. Not only are you rich, beautiful and famous, but you're sweet, caring, funny, and my family loves you. Trust me, Rosie: you and Dickie would make a **much** hotter and better couple than him and Isabitch!"

"Lizzie! Just…give it a rest, will you?" Lizzie turned and looked out the window as Rosemary thought back on what her best friend's sister had just told her. _Yeah? Well, sorry Lizzie!_ Rosemary thought bitterly, watching Dickie kiss Isabelle goodbye, as Isabelle shot Rosemary a triumphant look, as Dickie climbed into the backseat of the car, smiling at the best friend he'd been longing to see for three years. _Dickie and I are **never** going to be a couple! No matter how much you, your parents, or anybody else might want it! Including me!_

**So, thoughts on Isabelle? (Automatic: Weapons-grade bitch!) I'm not too fond of her, either, but she's necessary for the story. Hopefully, next chapter will be up soon (tomorrow maybe?) and will include Rosemary telling Dickie about her date with Fletcher. Evening the score. Muwhaha! OK. Time to go to bed. Goodnight all! And... reviews please!**_  
_


	5. Chapter 5

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Hello again! First, thanks again to Queen S of Randomness 016 for reviewing! Sorry I've been away for a bit. I just wasn't feeling in the mood to write this story, but now I'm back! So, in this chapter, Rosemary and Dickie have their first fight (and you'll wanna kill both Dickie and Isabelle after this). And Lizzie really steps up (I think you'll like her little tidbits). Anyways, reviews are important as always. Let the story...begin!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Five

The Stabler house in Queens, New York was just as spacious, quaint and friendly-looking as Rosemary remembered. As Elliott pulled the car into the driveway, Rosemary felt as though she was putting on an old, comfy pair of pajamas that she hadn't worn for years that still fit. And the Stabler's' home was a place that always managed to fit somewhere into her life.

"Alright. Everybody out!" Elliott told Lizzie, Dickie and Rosemary. "I've gotta head back to work!"

"Seriously Dad?" Dickie demanded, trying to hide his anger. "You're **always** rushing off to work these days. Is there someone there that you're just dying to see or something?"

"Dickie!" Lizzie hissed, but her older twin brother simply stared angrily at their father, who glared back. Rosemary was shocked. Why was Dickie being so…angry? His father had to find a cop who'd broken the chain of custody on a piece of evidence. Surely Elliott could just explain it simply to him. But then again, Elliott **could** spend a little time with them and go back to work later.

"Daddy, you **could** spend a little time with us and **then** go back to work, right?" Lizzie suggested, trying to break the unpleasant air of hostility between the two males. "I mean, Rosie's only here for… how long?"

"Two weeks," Rosemary replied.

"Two weeks," Lizzie continued. "I'm sure Olivia told you that she and the others will be fine, Daddy. Besides, I know she'd want you to spend time with us. You'd do the same for her if she had a kid, right?"

Rosemary smiled. Not only had Lizzie completely read **her** mind and voiced what she'd been thinking in her head, but she'd also made a very compelling argument. _Lizzie should **seriously** consider becoming an A.D.A.!_ Rosemary thought to herself as she watched Elliott's expression change from one of anger to one of calmness and understanding.

"Alright, Lizzie. How 'bout you, me, Rosie and Dickie play two-on-two football in the backyard?" Elliott suggested.

"Boys versus girls!" Dickie added, the anger disappearing from his tone.

"You sure you want some of this, Rich?" Rosemary challenged, grinning up at Richard, whose eyes roved over her body, taking in the accentuated curves her shirt brought to light before returning to her face. God his eyes were so damn sexy! Blue and teasing and…she felt like she could stare into them forever.

"I can handle you any day of the week, Rose!" Richard threw back, returning the grin.

"OK! Time to get out of the car, everybody!" Elliott broke in, opening the driver's door. "Now!" he added pointedly, his eyes resting on Rosemary and Dickie. Lizzie and Dickie both slid out of the car on opposite ends, and Rosemary slid out on Dickie's side, almost running into the hand he was holding out for her to take.

"Wow, Rich! You're still a gentleman after all this time?" she joked, taking his hand and allowing him to help her out of the car. Her entire body was buzzing with electricity as their hands stayed together with every passing second. She never thought any guy could make her feel the way he did. She didn't any guy ever **could** make her feel so alive. His smile was warming her face more than the hot, June sun. She felt her cheeks going red under the gaze of his teasing, blue eyes, as he looked at his best friend.

"How do you think I got Isabelle to fall in love with me?" he teased. Immediately, her mouth drooped, and her face fell.

"Right," she replied, pulling her hand away and walking towards the house with Elliott. Lizzie came around to Dickie's side and gave him a hard look.

"What'd I do?" Dickie asked aloud, palms upturned, feigning innocence.

"Boys!" Lizzie grumbled. "You're all so damn clueless!"

"What's **that** supposed to mean?" Dickie snapped, turning around to face his youngest sister.

"It means watch what you say, big brother!" Lizzie shot back. Then, she stormed off after Elliott and Rosemary into the house, leaving Dickie disillusioned about what'd just happened.

* * *

"This place hasn't changed a bit," Rosemary breathed as she stood in the living room. Dickie, who was by her side, chuckled and nodded. Lizzie had gone up to her room claiming that she'd had "a creative stroke of genius" while in the car, but hadn't wanted the constant moving and bumping to interfere with her drawing. Dickie steered Rosemary over to the leather sofa, and the two friends sat down beside each other.

"We've gotten a few new appliances and stuff, but the décor's been the same since we were kids, Rose," Dickie informed her. "Mom and Dad aren't really that big on renovations."

"How **is** Auntie Kathy anyways? I haven't seen her yet."

"She's doing fine. Actually, she's pregnant."

"Oh my gosh! Rich, that's amazing!"

"Yeah! I **finally** get to be a big brother to a boy! I'll teach him everything he needs to know about baseball, cars, girls…"

"Start with which ones to avoid!" Lizzie called from her room upstairs. Rosemary stifled a smile and a giggle as she saw Dickie scowl.

"I just don't know **why** Lizzie can't be happy for me and Isabelle!" Dickie confessed angrily. "I mean, what has Isabelle ever done to make Lizzie so…so…angry?"

_You mean besides being a rude, stuck-up, conceited bitch who thinks she's the best thing since sliced bread? Or maybe it's the fact that your sister thinks you can do **so** much better than a wannabe Nicki Minaj?_ Rosemary thought in her head. But she didn't **dare** say that stuff aloud to Rich.

"Maybe she's just…concerned about you, Rich," Rosemary suggested, turning to face him. "I mean, she **is** your little sister and all."

"But what's there to be concerned about?" Dickie inquired. "Isabelle is gorgeous, cool, popular, a great dancer, and I love her."

"You love her?" _I can't believe this! _Rosemary thought to herself in panic. _He loves her! **He** loves that stuck-up, little pom-pom girly-girl? Then it's hopeless! He'll **never** fall for me. Not no way, not no how! It's time to move on! _

"Yeah. Why? Can't a teenage guy fall in love?"

"Of course he can."

"But enough about me. I want to hear about **your** love life."

"Mine?"

"Yeah. Lemme guess. Still waiting for Mr. Right, are we? Don't worry," he cut her off just when she opened her mouth to speak. "I'm sure he'll come along real soon like how Isabelle did for me."

"Actually…as a matter of fact, I've got a date tonight with a rookie cop who nabbed a rapist just today."

"A rookie cop?"

"Yep. On his way to being promoted to "Detective" in a matter of weeks, maybe months."

"Whoa! That's…cool!"

"Yeah. His name's Officer Fletcher, he's around 22 years old, just got out of the police academy, and he's amazingly good-looking and funny and charming!"

"Sounds like a…a great catch, Rose!"

"Yeah," she sighed dreamily. Richard watched her eyes sparkle with a light that he recognized. He always looked at Isabelle that way, and once upon a time, had dreamed of turning that look on the girl sitting beside him. Wait, what was he thinking? He couldn't be thinking of Rosemary like that anymore! He had a girlfriend who was the prettiest and most popular girl in school. She, as she never failed to remind him, was the most sought-after girl on campus, and he'd been lucky that she'd chosen him over all the other guys at their school.

"Oh my gosh!" Rosemary shouted suddenly, causing Dickie to jump about a foot in the air and caused Elliott to come running in from the kitchen.

"What is it, Rosie?" Elliott asked urgently.

"I forgot to call Darrell!" she gasped. Then, she saw the strange looks she was getting. "He's my bodyguard," she informed them. "Elliott! Can I make a quick call on your house phone?"

"Sure. Not a problem, Rosie," Elliott replied, smiling. "It's still in the kitchen, just like old times." She smiled and got up from the couch and hurried into the kitchen, leaving Elliott to look at the frustrated expression on his son's face.

"Something bothering you, Dickie?" Elliott inquired.

"Nothing I can't handle, Dad," Dickie replied firmly. "And it's **Richard**, Dad. Not Dickie."

"Alright. Well, if you think you can't handle it, you can always come to me."

"Thanks, Dad. I'll remember that." Just then, Rosemary reappeared.

"So, Darrell's not gonna throw me in a tank with sharks," Rosemary informed them, "but he was pretty upset that I left SVU without calling him and letting him know where I was headed."

"That's a quality bodyguard, Samantha," Elliott told her. "If he cares about more when you're out of his sight than in his sight, you know he's dedicated to the job. Don't let him go."

"OK, El. Umm…do you think you could drop me off at The Plaza Hotel? That's where I'm staying. Don't worry. Darrell will be waiting at the front doors to make sure I get to my suite safely."

"The Plaza's near a cop bar that I'm gonna check out for leads on Fletcher, so sure."

"Fletcher?" Dickie repeated. "As in Officer Fletcher? Has he done something wrong?" He looked directly at Rosemary, who looked as if she was going to throw up, then die. This guy meant something to her. His heart went out to her.

"We just need his signature on something is all," Elliott answered. Rosemary breathed a silent sigh of relief, and Dickie felt his tense muscles relax.

"Well, let's get moving, Rosie. I haven't got a lot of time before arraignment, and we **need** Fletcher's signature. Otherwise, a rapist goes free," Elliott said gravely. Rosemary nodded and after shouting a quick goodbye up the stairs to Lizzie, she turned to Dickie.

"So, wanna go see a movie or something over the weekend?" Rosemary asked Dickie. "I'm free."

"Sorry, but I've got a study date with Izzy at her house," Dickie replied. "Maybe some other time."

"Oh. OK."

"I wish you could've stayed longer," he whispered in her ear as they hugged goodbye.

"Yeah. Me too. But I've gotta check in with Darrell. And I've got a date to get ready for," she replied softly as they pulled apart.

"With some missing cop who can't even sign the proper papers before disappearing!" Dickie shot back, chuckling. "How do you know he won't stand you up on this date? I mean, maybe he'll meet another beautiful woman on his way there and things might click between them. How do you know he won't ditch you for her?"

"Because…even though I'm not a blonde, pom-pom waving dancer, I'm still attractive enough for a good-looking guy like Officer Fletcher to wanna have dinner with me!" Rosemary snapped, turning on her heel and storming away. She missed seeing Lizzie come down the stairs as she slammed the door closed behind her.

"Nice one, Rich!" Lizzie scoffed. "You just insulted your so-called best friend!"

"She **is** my best friend, Lizzie!" Dickie fired back. "And I didn't insult her!"

"If saying that Rosemary's not attractive enough for a man to wanna date her isn't an insult, then I don't know what is!" Lizzie growled at her twin brother. Dickie was shocked into stunned silence. He hadn't even realized that 1) he'd insulted his best friend and 2) that his sister had heard every word and was furious about it.

Before she stormed off, Lizzie told her brother: "You teenage guys all want some damn Barbie doll at your side and can't recognize **real** beauty in front of you. A word to the wise: keep this up and you're gonna lose the most important thing in your life, Richard. And just so we're clear, I'm talking about **Rosemary,** and not your pom-pom waving, backbiting, bitchy, so-called girlfriend Isabelle! And lemme tell you something, Richard: if you lose Rosemary, you'll **never** get her back. Because a girl like that only comes around once in a million years."

**I know. I know. Get rid of Isabelle and the problem's solved. Just bear with me for the next few chapters, and then she'll be gone. I promise. The next chapter is the date with Rosemary and Fletcher as well as a little bit more to do with why Rosemary moved away in the first place (refer to chapter one if you're just reading this chapter or you won't get it!). So, if you're not mad at me...please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Hello again! First, thanks again to Queen S of Randomness 016 for reviewing! Guys, reviews are what keep me going, so please review when you read this story! So, Rosemary and Brad finally go on their date, but things don't turn out quite the way they'd planned. Read on to find out why!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Six

The Plaza Hotel stood tall and proud against the summer skies of New York City. Rosemary felt a little intimidated as Elliott's Crown Vic pulled up to the front doors of the hotel. Sure, she was rich and famous and could probably have paid to stay in Trump Towers if she'd wanted. But, coming from a middle-class background like she had and being amongst people who'd probably grown up in this luxurious lifestyle always made her feel second-rate. Especially when it came to fancy hotels. A doorman was waiting and approached the car, opening the passenger side door automatically, as if he'd predicted that she was stopping there.

"Miss Thomas. Welcome to The Plaza," he greeted, helping her out of the car.

"Thank you," she replied politely. Then, she turned and said, "Bye, Elliott. You can call the hotel later, and they'll put you through to me. Or you could just get my cell number from Dickie if you want."

"Sure, Rosie," Elliott replied. "You'll stop by on the weekend, right?"

"Of course. The usual: Saturday morning cartoons and Sunday afternoon dinner after Mass."

"That's my girl. Take care of yourself!"

"I will." With that, the Crown Vic pulled away from the hotel and down the street. But neither Elliott, Rosemary or the doorman noticed the black Sedan with tinted windows that pulled up across the street.

* * *

So the rumors floating around the office were true. Rosemary Thomas really **was** in New York City. At last. After almost four, long years of angst, she'd returned home. Just like he'd always hoped she would. Her mother had thought that he wasn't good enough for her; that she could do better with someone else. And for almost four years, he'd had to live without the pain of watching the old bitch squirm, of not being able to visualize her shock and terror that he'd found them.

But now, she was back. Now, he could put his plan into action. Playtime was over. He looked at his watch. 4:15 p.m. He was gonna need a suit for tonight. A nice one. After all, **he** had a date with Miss Rosemary Thomas.

* * *

"Darrell! Do you know if the minibar has been stocked?" Rosemary called from her room. Her arms were packed with clothes that she was busy sorting into drawers or the large closet her suite had been graced with.

"Rosemary Thomas, you are _seventeen_!" Darrell reminded her sternly, coming into the room. "You're not even legal in _Canada_ yet! So I think you know the answer to that!"

"I'm not talking about red wine, vodka or beer," Rosemary shot back, dumping some clothes into the open drawer and sitting on her bed. "I just wanted some Perrier, spring water and non-alcoholic wine. Plus a few ginger ales if they have them."

"OK, kid. What's on your mind?" Darrell inquired, crossing his arms across his broad, muscled chest.

"Nothing!" Rosemary denied, but with one skeptical look from Darrell, she replied, "Something."

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked, sitting down next to her. Rosemary took a deep breath and, before she knew it, she was pouring out the whole situation with Dickie to a man who was being paid to make sure she didn't get stabbed or shot or mugged and **not** to listen to a bunch of teenage drama.

"And I just don't know what to do!" Rosemary finished in frustration, resting her chin on her hands.

"Nothing," Darrell told her simply.

"Beg pardon?"

"There's nothing you can do to change his feelings. If he likes this girl, he likes her. You can't force him to like you more than beyond being friends. Just be his friend, support his choices (even though personally, I think he's being a complete jackass), and date other guys. There are almost seven billion people in this world. He's not the only boy out there, Rosemary. Correction: he's not the only **good** man out there. You just have to wait your turn."

"Thanks, Darrell. I feel a lot better now."

"Anytime, kid. I have a daughter your age, so I'm used to this headache."

"Now, I need your opinion."

"On what?"

"A dress. I'm going to have dinner tonight with a rookie cop in the restaurant downstairs. I wanna look beautiful."

"You have a date? And exactly **when** were you going to get around to telling me this?"

"I was gonna tell you! Honest!"

"Yeah! When you were going out the door!"

"No! Alright… maybe. But come on, Darrell. I _really_ wanna impress this guy!"

"I don't get paid enough for this!" he groaned. "Show me the dress!" Rosemary beamed and then dove into her closet. She pulled out a one-shouldered, red dress that was tight enough to show off her figure, but loose enough that she could at least move.

"If you're wearing that dress, I'm gonna have to get paid overtime!" Darrell commented, his eyes widening. "Because in that dress, I'll be beating away guys from you with a stick!"

"Thank you. Now, what time is it?"

"5:10."

"Oh no! I forgot to ask him what time to meet me there!" Rosemary said suddenly, clapping her hand to her head. Just then, her phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw that she had a new text. She unlocked her phone and read: _Hey Rosemary! It's Officer Brad Fletcher! Let's meet in the restaurant at 6 if that's OK! Can't wait to see you!_

She quickly replied: _6 sounds great! Can't wait to see you either!_

"Now, out you go, Darrell!" Rosemary said, shooing him from her room and slamming the door closed. "**I** have a date to get ready for!"

* * *

His shoes were highly polished and his blond hair slicked back. The bowtie around his neck complemented the black tuxedo he wore. He took one last look in the mirror and smiled. Irresistible. She wouldn't be able to keep her eyes off of him. Just like he wouldn't be able to take his eyes off of her. He checked the Rolex watch on his wrist. 5:20. If he hurried, he could just make it before the dinner rush at The Plaza, which started at 6.

* * *

Rosemary sat at the table for two by the window inside the restaurant, waiting for Brad. It was only 5:45, but she'd still felt it necessary to get them a table early before the dinner rush commenced. She smoothed out a wrinkle on the fabric of her red, one-shouldered dress. It reached the tops of her knees and on her feet were a pair of silver peep-toe pumps. Her silver clutch rested on the table and she was nursing a ginger ale that had been brought to her by one of the waiters. As for her hair, it was curled and hung loose. She hoped that Brad would get there soon.

"Waiting for someone?" a deep voice asked her. She looked up and saw a handsome blond standing over her, smiling. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a matching bowtie. His mint-green eyes were sparkling with a light that rivaled the chandelier lights twinkling above their heads.

"Yes. We're having dinner, but he's not here yet," Rosemary answered.

"May I?" the blond asked, gesturing to the empty seat across the table from her.

"Of course."

"You know, I can't imagine that **any** man in his right mind would make a beautiful, young lady like you wait for him in a restaurant."

"Thank you. I'm sorry. We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Rosemary Thomas."

"Jacob. Jacob Henderson. And I must say, Miss Thomas, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise, Mr. Henderson."

"Please, call me Jacob."

"Then call me Rosemary, Jacob."

"Alright. Rosemary. I suppose you're wondering why I'm here."

"The question did cross my mind."

"Well. My father is a business executive for one of the largest telecommunications' companies worldwide. He and I are supposed to be meeting with partners from the firm in China to discuss a new contract. He sent me ahead to reserve a table for them." He pulled back the sleeve of his tuxedo jacket to look at the time on his Rolex watch, which Rosemary looked at. "Damn blighters are late. As usual."

"Wait a minute. You **and** your father? How old are you, exactly?"

"Age is nothing but a number, Rosemary."

"**How old are you**?"

"22."

"Well, I'm only 17, turning 18."

"Listen, Rosemary. I know this is quite forward of me, but I'd like to take you out sometime."

"You're right. That **is** quite forward. We just met."

"I know. But…there's something about you that just…enchants me." He reached across and took her hand in his. "It's like…we're _destined_ to be together, Rosemary." She quickly pulled her hand away and grabbed her clutch. She made to rise, but Jacob grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to go!"

"No! Stay and have a drink with me!"

"Jacob, I have to go! Please let go of me!"

"STAY!"

"Let go of me!"

"STAY WITH ME!" His grip on her arm tightened painfully.

"Ow! You're hurting me!"

"Get your hands off of her!" shouted a voice, and Rosemary looked towards the door and saw Brad Fletcher in a black suit storming across the restaurant towards Jacob and Rosemary. There was a tone of authority in Fletcher's voice that made Jacob quickly release her arm.

"You OK, Rosemary?" Fletcher asked, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I think so," Rosemary answered, drawing closer to Brad. Then, the rookie cop's flaming eyes turned on Jacob.

"You stay away from her!" Brad snarled at Jacob, causing the older boy to take a small step back. "Understand me?"

"And who are **you**?" Jacob asked, narrowing his eyes. "Her boyfriend?"

"No. I'm the cop who'll throw you in jail for harassment and assault!" Fletcher growled, pulling out his gold, police badge. "Now, unless I'm going deaf, I believe the lady wants to leave! And she's leaving with **me!**" With that, Brad and Rosemary walked out of the room quickly, passing the other diners, who'd been sitting in their seats, watching the drama unfold.

"Are you alright?" Brad inquired, gently taking her hand in his.

"My arm's a little sore," Rosemary answered honestly, wincing as she rubbed her arm. A bruise was starting to form from where Jacob had grabbed her. Brad scowled as he noticed it, too. Rosemary gently touched his arm, telling him with her eyes that it would be a bad idea for him to pound the crap out of Jacob right now.

"We should get some ice on that."

"There's ice back up in my hotel suite."

"Then we'll go there."

"But what about dinner?"

"Your health's more important. Besides, after dealing with El Jerko back there, I've lost my appetite. How about a drink?"

"I can't drink. I'm only 17."

"Don't worry. I don't drink liquor or anything strong. My old man was on the bottle. I swore I'd never be like him. I haven't touched alcohol ever."

"Wow. I've got some wine upstairs in my hotel suite. It's non-alcoholic. Will that do?"

"I **like** it!"

"Of course you would." Walking across the lobby towards the elevators, Brad Fletcher allowed himself the tiniest bit of celebration. Not only had he saved an author from a pompous jerk, but now, they were gonna have a drink up in her hotel suite! His friends would **not** believe this! Rosemary punched the number 8 before she rested her head lightly on Brad's shoulder as the golden doors slid closed. He wrapped his arm tighter around her shoulders. He had a feeling that this was going to be a good night.

* * *

He watched them go, the cop and Rosemary. Damn him! He'd ruined everything! If she hadn't had that date with him, **he** would've been the one going up to her hotel suite for a drink right now. Somehow, he had to eliminate this cop, had to get him out of the picture. He was complicating the entire plan!

"…If anyone has seen this man, you are asked to phone SVU's tip line at 1-800-789-5000," a news anchor reported, as a picture of a dark-haired man with dark eyes came on screen. "Again: police are looking for this man who goes by the name of Fletcher. He allegedly was masquerading as a cop. Calls can be directed to the SVU tip line…"

He smiled coldly. Fletcher, eh? His little Rosemary was dating a fake, a phony! That guy was no real cop, even though that badge had looked like the real deal. This was his chance. He quickly pulled out his cell phone and wondered how much of a reward he'd get for turning in Fletcher as he dialed the tip line.

* * *

"Wait! So, the guy had a gun, but you still tackled him before he shot the kid?" Rosemary asked as she and Fletcher stepped out of the elevator and walked along the carpeted hallway towards her suite. "Are you crazy?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Fletcher chuckled, keeping his arm around her shoulders. "I mean, the kid was frozen, and he looked surprised that I was even there, so I just went for the guy and…yeah."

"Wow! So, what happened to the kid?"

"She was fine. Bastard hadn't touched her yet, thank God."

"Wow. So, what about the serial rapist that Fin told me you caught today?" Rosemary asked as they stopped in front of Room 8003.

"Let's wait until we're settled inside, shall we?" Brad suggested. Rosemary nodded and smiled as she swiped her room key through the electronic lock. It clicked and she opened the door.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Rosemary warned him as they stepped across the threshold. Brad reached behind him and closed the door. "You're gonna have to get past Darrell. He's my bodyguard, and he can be a _little_overprotective."

"Only a _little_?"

"OK. Very."

"Don't worry. I'm a cop, Rosemary. If I can handle gunmen and rapists, one bodyguard should be no problem."

"OK. It's your funeral. Darrell!" There was no answer. "Darrell? Are you here?" Rosemary put her purse on the table in front of the large couch and walked over to the minibar. On the door, there was a note. It read: _Gone to watch the game at the sports bar down the street. Be back in a few hours. Have fun on your date, kid.-Darrell D._

"Something wrong?" Brad asked, coming up behind her. She turned around and showed him the note.

"My bodyguard seems to have made plans for the evening without my knowledge," Rosemary informed him. Brad was torn between looking shocked and looking like he was about to jump over the moon.

"So I guess this means…" Brad began, but he didn't have the nerve to finish it.

"We're all alone," Rosemary finished, looking back down at the note. Then, she looked back at him and smiled. "I can get us the drinks, but what do you want to do after that?"

"I can think of a few things," Brad answered, taking a step closer to her.

"Oh, really?" Rosemary asked playfully, even though her heart was beating like a drum. "Like what?" Brad took her face in both his hands and stared into her eyes.

"Like this." And he leaned in and kissed her.

**Ooooo. They're alone in a fancy hotel room! Wink wink! Nudge nudge! Might have to raise the rating for the next chapter! Also, we haven't seen the last of Stalker Boy Jacob! He's got a part to play in this story that will shock you all! Tune in for the next chapter! And please review!Starting...now!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Hello again! First, thanks again to Queen S of Randomness 016 and I Love Emily Prentiss for reviewing! Also, thanks to I Love Emily Prentiss for adding me to her favorite authors, author alert and favorite stories! Guys, reviews are what keep me going, so please review when you read this story! And our friendly neighborhood stalker appears in this chapter as well! Swell, huh? OK. On with the story!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Seven

_Manhattan SVU Precinct Squad room_

"Any leads on Fletcher yet?" Elliott inquired of Munch and Fin, who were busy working the tip lines. They hadn't been able to locate him, and time was running out. Wayne Hankett was due to be arraigned in court the next morning. If they didn't find Fletcher tonight and get his signature on the citizen's arrest paperwork, Hankett would be walking the streets, free to choose his next victim. And for sure as Hell, he'd cover his tracks better.

"Nothing on dis end," Fin replied, hanging up the black telephone for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Hey guys. Come over here. I think I got something," Munch told his colleagues, holding the black phone and pressing the speaker button. Elliott and Fin quickly rushed over. Once they were there, Munch turned back the phone. "Alright, Jake. Now, tell me again where you saw this guy."

"He's here at The Plaza Hotel," a male voice answered back. "I just saw him go upstairs with that famous teen writer. Now, what's her name again? Janet? No. Lucille? Nope. That's not it, either. I remember she wrote some series that had to do with monsters and high school." Elliott immediately felt the temperature in the room plummet like a stone into the water of a pond. No. It couldn't be. Why her? Why'd he have to go after **his** goddaughter? And the thought of the two of them alone together in a hotel suite made his skin crawl.

"Was it Rosemary Thomas?" Elliott supplied.

"Yeah! That was her name! And by the way he was holding on to her, I'd say he's looking to hit a homerun tonight, if ya know what I mean! She's a dime and all that, so…"

"We get it, Jake!" Fin snapped.

"So…what kinda reward are ya'll willing to doll out for this big tip?"

"How about good karma?" John told him sarcastically. "That would be a reward worth keeping in this dog-eat-dog world!"

"I was thinking more along the lines of cash. Say…$500?"

"We'll put you through to our people, and they'll arrange the reward, Jake," Elliott informed him. Then, the phone line went dead; which was what Fletcher was going to be when Elliott got his hands on him: dead.

"What the Hell is that wannabe doing with my goddaughter?" the veteran detective snarled viciously, storming past the other two to get his shield and gun.

"Elliott. They're on a date," Munch answered simply, as if that should've explained it all.

"What? And you **knew** about it? And it didn't cross your mind to breathe a word of it to me, huh?" Elliott snapped angrily.

"We knew you'd freak out like this if we told ya, Stabler," Fin said defensively. "She's almost eighteen years old, man! She's not a child anymore! Ya gotta give her some space!"

"Space?" Elliott repeated incredulously, oblivious to the fact that Olivia had just walked back into the squad room. "When it comes to guys, space is the last thing I'm gonna give her! She's **my** goddaughter, and I'm damn well gonna protect her from perverts like Fletcher who just wanna have a good time and then toss her like she's trash!"

"Elliott? What's going on?" Olivia inquired innocently, joining the small circle of detectives which had formed.

"We just got a tip from a guy named Jake that Fletcher's at The Plaza with Rosemary," Fin informed Liv.

"You mean in the lobby? Or the restaurant?" Olivia questioned.

"Try her hotel suite," Elliott answered in an eerily soft voice.

"Elliott," Olivia began, putting a gentle hand on his arm. But Elliott shrugged it off and took off out of the squad room.

"We'd better go with him. Someone might hurt Elliott," Olivia told Munch and Fin.

"Or worse. Elliott might hurt **someone**," Fin muttered to his partner as they took off after Olivia and Elliott.

* * *

The minute Jacob hung up the phone, he felt nothing less than satisfied. Soon, that irritating wannabe cop would be out of the way and his path to Rosemary Thomas would be clear. $500 may have been pocket change to him on an ordinary day, but today, that money felt like his 8-figure trust fund. He turned and went back into the restaurant, heading for the bar.

He felt like celebrating.

* * *

Rosemary felt her back hit the counter as Brad deepened the kiss. She felt heat flooding her body. Why did something so wrong have to feel so good? She could just let go, let him kiss her, see where the moment took her. But she knew she needed to stop this. Brad was sweet, brave, handsome and everything she could've ever asked for in a guy. But she also knew who she was. And the type of girl Rosemary was didn't hook up with guys she'd just met in her hotel room, even if they **were** cops.

"Brad. Stop," she told him, breaking away from him. He leaned back, panting slightly. "We can't do this."

"Why not?" he asked. Rosemary looked in his face. There was no anger or disappointment; just confusion.

"Look. I think you're sweet and funny and cute," Rosemary explained. "You saved me from that creep Jacob Henderson, and I'm really grateful for that. But I'm not…you know…**that** kind of girl. And I'm sorry if you're disappointed or anything, but…"

"I'm not disappointed, Rosemary," Brad told her, smiling. Wait, what?

"You're **not**?"

"No." His eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Why would I be?"

_Maybe because you're a guy, and despite being sweet and brave and all that junk, you'd still jump at the chance to get in a girl's pants?_ Rosemary thought to herself.

"Well, you meet a girl, she asks you out, you plan to meet for dinner, and…"

"And because I'm a guy, despite being sweet and brave and all that junk, I'd still jump at the chance to get in a girl's pants."

"What are you? A mind reader?"

"No," he chuckled. "I just know that's what a lot of girls assume. And that about 60% of the time, they're right. I'm sorry about freaking you out like that. It's just, you're beautiful and successful and funny and I guess I just…jumped the gun."

"No worries." Rosemary reached into the minibar and took out a chilled bottle of non-alcoholic wine. She got two wineglasses from the cabinet and poured liquid into each of them. Then, she turned and handed one to Brad and held hers in the air. "Friends?"

"Friends," he agreed, smiling as they clinked glasses.

* * *

Elliott came running into The Plaza trailed closely by Olivia, Munch and Fin.

"Excuse me, sir?" Elliott inquired. A young man working at the front desk turned.

"Yes? How may I help you?" he inquired. Elliott flashed his badge.

"Police. Now, have you seen him here tonight?" Elliott asked, showing the photo of Fletcher from the video footage they'd managed to get from one of the bystanders in the park that day.

"Yeah. Yeah. He went upstairs with that famous writer girl," the young man answered.

"Was this her?" Olivia questioned, pulling out a copy of Rosemary's latest _Monster High_ book and showing him her picture on the back.

"Yeah! That's her! Rosemary Thomas! She came down at around 5:45. He showed up around 6, and then the two of them came out. She looked like she'd just been through Hell. He was comforting her. Next thing I know, they're heading for the elevators."

"We need her room number and the master cardkey! Now!" Elliott commanded. The young man looked confused until Munch slammed down a piece of blue paper.

"There's your warrant," Munch said, and immediately after that, the young man typed in some information on the computer.

"Room 8003. And here's the master cardkey," he said, handing them a cardkey. The four detectives rushed off to the stairwell followed by half a dozen uniformed officers.

* * *

"So, what's the most exciting part about being a cop?" Rosemary asked. The two were sitting down on the leather sofa by the huge, bay window.

"That's easy. Arresting the perps," Brad answered before taking another sip of wine. "Not only do you get a total adrenaline rush from handcuffing a bad guy, you're doing a lot of good for the city by getting one less dirt bag rapist, mugger or murderer off the streets."

"So, you like the rush, huh?"

"Yeah. It's great. The thrill of the chase. Tackling the guy. Handcuffing him and reading him his Miranda rights. It's just so…exhilarating."

"Nice. And your least favorite?"

"Another easy one. Paperwork." Rosemary joined Brad in laughing.

"So, what your favorite thing about being an author?"

"I guess…" Suddenly, there was a small _click!_ and the suite door flew open. Cops with guns drawn swarmed the room, surrounding her and Brad.

"Police! Fletcher! Lemme see yer hands!" shouted an all-too-familiar voice. She recognized the voice before he stepped into view, his three close friends behind him.

"Elliott?" she screeched, putting down her wineglass on the coffee table. "What're you doing here?" Olivia quickly rushed over and guided Rosemary away from Fletcher.

"Rosemary. Are you alright?" Olivia inquired.

"I'm fine, 'Liv!" she snapped, turning back to where Brad was standing up, hands in the air. Elliott grabbed his arm, twisted it and shoved him face first into the couch, pulling out his handcuffs.

"Elliott, stop! You're hurting him!" Rosemary, trying to break free from Olivia's grasp.

"Stay out of this, Rosie!" Elliott ordered, dragging Fletcher up. "Brad Fletcher. You're under arrest for impersonation of an officer of the law, possession of a firearm. Oh. And attempted rape."

"What? Elliott, wait!" Rosemary yelled, but Elliott was too busy dragging Fletcher out of the room to hear her. Munch and Fin looked at her before disappearing as well.

"'Liv, you've gotta believe me!" Rosemary told her urgently. "Brad didn't try and rape me! He kissed me, but that's it!"

"I believe you, Rosemary," Olivia replied, placing her hands on the young woman's shoulders. "Go get your purse and change into some more comfortable shoes. You'll need to come down to the precinct and make a statement."

* * *

He watched from the black Sedan as Fletcher was shoved into the Crown Vic roughly by the cop. Rosemary Thomas's godfather if he wasn't mistaken. Yes. Elliott Stabler. He'd read all about him in the papers. Big shot detective. Family man. And now goddaughter to an internationally famous author. Jacob smiled at the sight of Fletcher in handcuffs, being treated like a perp, a piece of scum. It was what he deserved for interfering in the plan.

Just then, his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and smiled before flipping it open.

"Hello?"

"Jacob. I trust you have made contact with the target."

"Yes. She's as beautiful as you described her."

"No trouble?"

"A little. But I've taken care of it. He won't be interfering in our plans any longer."

"Good. Now, proceed to Phase Two, my little protégée." With that, the phone line went dead. Jacob looked up in time to see Rosemary being escorted by a female detective into another Crown Vic.

_Soon we'll be together, my sweet, gentle Rosemary!_ he thought, watching the young author gracefully get into the car. _After Phase Two is complete, I'll be one step closer to making you mine forever!_

**OK. I know what you're thinking. Obsessed much? And poor Rosemary was having a good time before Elliott ruined it! Next chapter coming soon (meaning right after this one! I know! Double update!) But please review starting...now!**


	8. Chapter 8

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Double update! Lucky readers! Hope you enjoy it! On with the story!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Eight

_Manhattan Special Victims Unit Precinct Interview Room 1_

"Look! I may have pretended to be a cop, but I didn't rape Rosemary!" Fletcher told Elliott as he and Munch sat interrogating Fletcher. They'd found out that the guy was only 18 years old. But all Elliott wanted to know was whether or not this bastard had touched his goddaughter.

"OK, so what happened?" Munch inquired.

"We made plans to meet for dinner. I got there a little late because of traffic, and I saw her arguing with this guy. I think his name was Jacob."

"Describe him," Elliott said.

"Tall, Caucasian, blond, green eyes. Dressed nice. Had a Rolex."

"Height? Weight?"

"I don't know. Taller than me, so around…6'0. Weight, I'm not sure."

"Yer not sure of much, are you, wannabe?" Elliott told him.

"So, then what happened?" Munch asked. Elliott started fuming inside. Munch was acting like this bastard's ally when he should be grilling him like a lowlife piece of scum.

"He grabbed her arm. I went over and showed him my badge, told him to let go of her. I got her out of there. Her arm was bruised, so I suggested we go up to her hotel suite to get some ice. We got up there, and she offered me a drink. Nothing with alcohol since I told her I don't drink."

"Yeah, 'cause you're not **legal**!" Elliott muttered crossly.

"Go on," Munch prodded.

"Her bodyguard was down at the sports bar a few doors down, and then, I kissed her. But when she told me that she wasn't into it, I backed off! We had something to drink and were talking when you guys came busting like Hawaii Five-O!"

"What do you mean "it"?" Elliott snapped.

"Sex. She told me she wasn't "that kind of girl" and I respected her decision. I've got a sister at home. I **know** how to treat women."

"Why should we believe you?" Elliott questioned.

"Ask Rosemary yourself! She'll tell you I'm not lying!" Fletcher fired back.

* * *

"So, what happened Rosemary?" Olivia asked, taking out a pen and notepad. Rosemary was sitting beside her desk.

"I met Brad here at the precinct. We talked and I asked him if he wanted to have dinner with me at my hotel. He said yes. I got there early and was waiting for him when this other guy approached me."

"OK. Do you know his name?"

"Jacob. Jacob Henderson."

"Can you describe him?"

"Tall, Caucasian, blond, green eyes. He was wearing a Rolex. He dressed nicely too. Like a businessman."

"OK. So what happened?"

"We started talking, but then I found out he was 22. After that, he turned…weird."

"What do you mean, "weird"?"

"He started talking about it was destiny that we would be together. I tried to leave, but he grabbed my arm. He grabbed it so tightly, it left a bruise."

"May I?"

"Sure." Rosemary displayed the purple bruise. Olivia gritted her teeth. If she ever got her hands on the bastard who'd done this…She smiled. She was starting to sound like Elliott.

"Then what?"

"And then Brad stepped in and told Jacob to leave me alone or he'd get arrested. He got me out of there and we went up to my hotel suite to get some ice. Darrell was at the sports bar watching a game, and then, I offered Brad a drink. He leaned in and kissed me. I told him that I wasn't that kind of girl, and he backed off. I poured us some drinks and we sat on the couch and were talking when you guys came bursting in with guns and everything. Look, 'Liv. I know Elliott wants to protect me and everything, but sometimes, he needs to remember that I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm 17."

* * *

"So, what's the verdict?" Captain Cragen asked his top detectives as they congregated in his office.

"I don't think anything happened between them beside a kiss," Olivia replied. "Their stories match. Her clothes were intact, her hair's still perfect. Now, you tell me one rapist who hasn't messed up his victim's clothes or hair when he was attacking her."

"I agree," Munch said. "They're not hiding anything."

"Kid may be a wannabe, but that's all he is," Fin added. Captain Cragen looked at Elliott.

"Detective?" he prodded.

"I have to agree," he surrendered.

"Good. Now how about we…?" Captain Cragen began, but he was interrupted by Rosemary's voice saying, "Darrell?" followed by a loud _SMACK!_ and a scream.

* * *

"ROSEMARY?" yelled a voice from the doors of the precinct. Rosemary looked up and saw Darrell headed her way.

"Darrell?" she called. She opened her mouth to say something else, but his hand flew across her face, sending her flying into Olivia's desk.

"You goddamn slut!" he snarled. "Can't even go to the bar and watch one game without you acting like a fuckin' whore!"

"Hey! Get away from her!" Elliott shouted. Darrell seized Rosemary's arm and started to drag her out of the station. Elliott sprinted after him, whirled him around and punched him in the face. Darrell immediately let go of Rosemary and slugged Elliott hard back. Rosemary stumbled back as Munch and Fin raced in to drag Darrell off of Elliott.

"Easy there, tough guy!" Fin told Darrell as Munch handcuffed him and they led him away.

"You OK?" Olivia asked, studying her partner's face. Rosemary looked and saw a trickle of blood running down from his nose.

"Yeah. I'm fine," he said, wiping the blood away with his sleeve. Then he turned to his goddaughter. "Rosie, who's this guy?"

"That's my bodyguard, Darrell," she answered. "Darrell Donnelly."

"Munch, Fin, take him to interrogation," Cragen instructed. "Elliott, get cleaned up and ready to grill this guy. Olivia, you take Rosemary back to the hotel and get her things. Bring her to…"

"Bring her to my house in Queens," Elliott told her. "She'll stay with us for the rest of her stay here."

"Elliott, you really don't…" Rosemary began.

"Save it, Rosemary. You're my goddaughter. Besides," he added cheekily, smiling. "Who else is gonna keep you outta trouble?"

* * *

_The Plaza Hotel, Room 8003_

"Olivia. Can I ask you something?" Rosemary said as she stuffed the second-last pile of clothes into her suitcase.

"Sure, Rosemary," Olivia said, handing her the toothbrush and cosmetics she'd found in the bathroom. She sat down on the bed next to the young woman. "What's up?"

"Why doesn't Elliott trust me around guys? I mean, he knows how strict my parents are, and that they brought me up the right way. I just don't get it."

"Rosemary. It's not **you** that Elliott doesn't trust. It's the **guys** he doesn't trust, because a lot of the time, he doesn't know who their family is, how they were raised and all that stuff."

"Really?"

"Rosemary, your godfather loves you very much. He's also very protective of you because he knows that a lot of boys in this day and age only want a quick thrill and not something serious like you do. He knows that you're a beautiful, successful young woman and he also knows that guys out there see that and are going to notice you. He just wants the **right** guy to be with you and at the right time, too. Don't try and grow up so fast, dear. You're only 17. You've got your whole life ahead of you."

"Thanks, 'Liv."

"Now, how about I get us a couple of ginger ales and we drink to true love and family?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Olivia smiled and went to go and get the drinks from the minibar. Rosemary whipped out her Iphone and decided to on Facebook and see what was happening. After she'd signed in, she checked to see who was online. One of the people she saw was Richard's best friend, Nicholas "Nick" McCrea. A star running back for Saint Martha's football team, Rosemary had never liked the guy, who behaved like the stereotypical "jock" whereas Richard did everything he could to distance himself from the label (except choose a down-to-earth, intelligent, non-Nicki-Minaj-wannabe girlfriend). Not wanting to talk to him, her eye caught a comment he'd posted on IzzyQueen17's Wall. She knew it was Isabelle's Facebook name since she'd seen her in Dickie's "In a relationship with" section. She clicked on it and read:

_Brain is fried. Can't do homework._

"Typical," she snorted, rolling her eyes. Then, she saw IzzyQueen17 both like the comment and reply to it. Curious, Rosemary clicked on it and read:

_Getting f***ed hard will do that to ya, Big Boy!_

"Ew!" Nick liked the comment and replied. Rosemary decided to see where this lame conversation between jock and mean girl was headed.

_Only when it's you who did the f***ing!_

"WHAT?" Rosemary screeched, staring at the screen. She waited until Isabelle replied.

_True. I am a freak. Or so all the guys say._

"Let's not think about how many of them said that," Rosemary muttered, eyes glued to the screen. Nick instantly replied.

_Hubby know anything about it?_

"Hubby? They're talking about Dickie!" she breathed in horror. She waited for what seemed like an eternity for Isabelle to respond.

_Still thinks I'm a v-girl! LMFAO! _

"Oh no she **didn't**!" she shouted. Olivia came hurrying back into the room with the ginger ales in hand as Nick replied.

_LMFAO x 10! What a los3r! So, wanna get together this Saturday? _

"Rosemary? What's going on?" Olivia asked. Rosemary quickly showed Olivia all the comments that Nick and Isabelle had posted. Finally, she replied.

_I'll squeeze u in before study date with hubby. My house 3. Come in the back door._

"Oh dear God!" Olivia breathed, but whether it was because of the sexual meaning behind the last part of the message or because of what the messages were saying, Rosemary didn't know. All she knew was that Rich's so-called "perfect girlfriend" had slept with his best guy friend.

"What're you going to do, Rosemary?" Olivia inquired. She was fully aware that Isabelle was Dickie's girlfriend. Elliott never stopped complaining that the two of them spent too much time together. Elliott was gonna blow a fuse when he found out!

"I have no idea, 'Liv."

"You **got** to tell him."

"No way! This is something he needs to find out on his own!"

"If you and Brad were together, and he was sleeping with one of your girlfriends, and Dickie found out about it, wouldn't you want him to tell you?"

"Yeah."

"So why doesn't **he** deserve the same courtesy?"

"Because he thinks his girlfriend's perfect and can do no wrong! She's his ticket to popularity and fitting in at SMP. If he wants to be with her, that's his choice. Let him make his own mistakes."

"I thought he was your best friend!"

"He is! And I wanna keep it that way!"

"Oh. I see. You're scared that if you tell him, he won't believe you and it'll destroy your friendship?"

"Exactly. I've learned that these kinds of things can blow up in your face."

"Where'd you learn that from?"

"_Smart Guy_."

"I see. Look, Rosemary. I know it's risky, but you have to take the chance."

"I don't want him mad at me! I couldn't bear it!"

"Couldn't…? Rosemary? Do you have _feelings_ for Dickie?"

"No! I mean…maybe. I guess…yes!"

"**That's** why you're so against telling him. Having the boy you're in love with hate you might seem like the end of the world. But what's worse, Rosemary? Having him hate you for telling him the truth or having him look like a fool in front of the entire school and never be the same boy you fell in love with?" Olivia patted her shoulder and handed her a ginger ale before exiting the room one more time.

_I know, 'Liv_, Rosemary thought to herself, staring at her packed suitcases. _It's not fair for Dickie to be in the dark. But it's also not fair for me to have to lose my best friend for the truth. It's times like these when I **really** hate life!_

After a long, refreshing drink of ginger ale, Rosemary returned to packing up the last of her things. When everything was in order, Olivia took the heavier suitcase and duffel bag out of the room. Rosemary picked up the lighter one, slung her purse over her shoulder and grabbed the room key. Before she shut the door, she took one, long, last look at her suite. Heaving a heavy sigh, she closed the door and set off down the hallway for the elevator. _No turning back now,_ she thought to herself. _You gotta do what you gotta do!_

**OK. So I'm guessing none of you are surprised by Isabelle cheating on Dickie. His best friend? That be a shocker. Anyways, will Rosemary tell Dickie about his unfaithful girlfriend? Or will she keep silent for fear of losing his friendship and maybe even his love? Tune in for the next chapter to find out! And...review!**


	9. Chapter 9

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Hey! First, thanks to my _solo_ reviewer Queen S of Randomness 016 for reviewing! Also, I apologize to ILoveEmilyPrentiss8D for getting your user-name wrong in my last shout-out! Hope you forgive me! What happened to all my lovely reviewers? Guys, reviews feed my creativity, so _please_ use that little button at the bottom! OK. On with the story!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Nine

"Thanks, Olivia!" Rosemary said, waving to the detective as she pulled out of the Stablers' driveway and headed back into the city. Tugging her suitcases behind her, she struggled up the driveway and the front steps. She was panting when she finally rung the doorbell.

"Yes?" Kathy Stabler answered, opening the door. "Oh, Rosemary!" she cried, hugging the young woman tightly. "It's so good to see you again!" Rosemary felt a slight bump pressing against her stomach and smiled when she broke away from her godmother.

"So, I guess there'll be another Stabler running around the house pretty soon, huh?" she said pointedly, eyeing Kathy's stomach. Kathy smiled and placed her hand proudly on her swollen belly.

"Yes. But we can talk about that later. Bring your things in. Elliott told me what happened with that man at the precinct." Smiling, she dragged her suitcases inside the house while Kathy went to the foot of the stairs.

"Kathleen! Maureen! Lizzie! Dickie! Come down here please!" their mother called. There was the sound of doors slamming and running feet as the Stabler children hurried to see what their mother wanted.

"What did you do **now**?" she heard Maureen ask one of her siblings.

"Don't look at me!" she heard Lizzie say defensively. "If it's anyone's fault, it's Dickie's!"

"Classic Lizzie!" Dickie scoffed. "Blame the guy for everything!"

"Well, you know how Eve felt in the Garden of Eden!" Kathleen told her brother bluntly. "Sucks, doesn't it?"

"Alright, you four. Relax," Kathy told them, intentionally blocking their view of Rosemary. "Now, nobody's in trouble. But we _will_ be having someone staying with us for a little while."

"Oh no!" Lizzie groaned. "Not Aunt Meredith!"

"No. It's not Aunt Meredith, Lizzie," Kathy said, smiling as she moved to the side to reveal Rosemary standing in the hallway with her suitcases and bags.

"Hey everyone," she said timidly, waving. Kathleen and Maureen both shoved past Lizzie and Dickie and smothered the young author in rib-bruising hugs. Lizzie waited patiently for her sisters' excitement to have cooled a little before coming in to hug Rosemary. Only Dickie stayed put at the foot of the stairs. How could he go and hug her when he'd (according to Lizzie) insulted the girl who was his best friend and whom he suspected he still had feelings for? How would he be able to live in the house when she would be here?

"Hey, Dickie," Rosemary said, her voice filled with kindness. It was like someone had stabbed him at that moment. Had she forgotten what he'd said to her when she'd stormed out several hours ago? Had she forgiven him because she and Officer Fletcher were officially a couple? He raised his hand and nodded at her. Lizzie gave him a scathing look, and his two, older sisters simply looked disappointed.

"Well. Let's get your stuff upstairs," Kathy said and immediately, Kathleen and Maureen grabbed the suitcases while Lizzie grabbed the duffel bag and the three sisters herded Rosemary upstairs to the guestroom. Rosemary was surprised to see the guestroom. There were red sheets with matching pillows as well as a desk with an outlet beside it where she could plug in her laptop. The plush carpet complimented the peach-colored walls and the lights above her bed were sparkling. There was even a bay window with a nice view of the backyard.

"I can't believe you're gonna be staying with us!" Maureen squealed, flopping down on the bed.

"It'll be just like old times!" Kathleen said, smiling. Rosemary closed the door. She needed to tell the girls the situation with Dickie's girlfriend.

"Remember when we put frosting on Dickie's face when he was sleeping?" Lizzie giggled. Kathleen and Maureen both giggled, but Rosemary looked down at the carpet at the mention of Dickie.

"Uh-oh. She's got that look," Maureen told her sisters. They both glanced at Rosemary and nodded.

"What look?" asked Rosemary as she leveled her gaze.

"The "Life's a bitch and I hate it so much right now" look," Kathleen replied. "C'mon, Rosie. Spill. What's on your mind?"

"Well…it's about Dickie," Rosemary confessed.

"Look, Rosie. Don't listen to a word that idiot brother of ours says," Lizzie advised. "He practically told her she wasn't pretty enough for any man to wanna date seriously!" she informed her two sisters.

"Hell no!" they both chorused in anger. Rosemary smiled a little.

"Look. It was stupid what he said…" Rosemary began.

"Damn straight!" Lizzie snapped.

"But I've moved on past that," Rosemary continued. "If he wants to be shallow, then that's his problem. And he's got another one on the way."

"What do you mean?" Maureen inquired, sitting up.

"Well, you guys know his girlfriend, Isabelle?"

"You mean the Queen of Mean?" Kathleen asked.

"The not-so-sweet pom-pom waving, dancing, wannabe Nicki Minaj?" Maureen said.

"Isabitch?" Lizzie questioned.

"OK. Apparently, you **do** know her. Well, she was talking to Rich's friend, Nick."

"You mean Nicholas the Jackass?" Lizzie inquired, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Ugh! The guy's a complete jock! He'd tried hitting on me once until Dickie put him in his place!" Kathleen said, wincing at the memory.

"But anyways, you were saying?" Lizzie said, bringing the attention back on to Rosemary.

"Well…I might as well show you." Rosemary unlocked her Iphone and showed them the Facebook posts that hadn't changed within the hour that she'd been off her phone.

"Oh my God! She's cheating on him?" Kathleen screeched, but Rosemary quickly slapped her hand over her mouth.

"Sh! I don't want Rich to know!" Rosemary hissed.

"Well _Rich_ has a right to know!" Maureen snapped angrily, looking at the comments with disgust. "I always knew that girl was trouble! Just by the way she walked, you could see she had "promiscuous" written all over her!"

"I always knew there was a reason I didn't like that girl!" Lizzie crowed. "So when are you gonna tell Dickie?"

"I…I…I don't know if I should."

"WHAT?" all three girls shouted.

"Rosie, you **have** to tell him!" Kathleen argued. "He has a right to know!"

"I know! But what if he doesn't believe me?" Rosemary asked in frustration, pulling at her hair.

"Why wouldn't he?" Maureen asked, waving the phone in the air. "The proof's in the sexual messages they're sending to each other behind his back!"

"But if he doesn't, he'll get angry and never want to be friends with me again!" Rosemary told them.

"If he doesn't believe it when the proof's right in front of him, then he's an idiot!" Kathleen concluded.

"Agreed!" Lizzie seconded.

"But…I don't wanna lose his friendship, girls," Rosemary said, walking over to the bed and sitting down next to Maureen. Kathleen and Lizzie sat down on the carpet near the bed. "We've been friends for almost all of our lives. He's sweet, funny, sensitive, supportive, athletic, a gentleman, and I…"

"You what?" Maureen asked.

"Nothing," Rosemary answered quickly.

"Really? Because that last part sounded like a declaration of love to me," Kathleen said, smirking.

"No way! He's my best friend, and I really value our friendship, that's all. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go to the backyard and think about this." Rosemary got up and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"She's in love with him," Kathleen stated to her sisters.

"Completely," Maureen agreed.

"And the fact that she knows about his girlfriend cheating on him is putting her between a rock and a hard place," Lizzie added.

"Yeah. If she tells him and he believes her, he breaks up with WNM (wannabe Nicki Minaj) and she can move in on him and the two of them become the perfect couple," Kathleen thought aloud.

"But on the other hand, if he doesn't believe her, he'll think she's just jealous and that'll destroy their friendship forever," Maureen countered.

"We also have to count in whether or not either of them are willing to risk their friendship by taking things to the next level," Lizzie added. "You know how people always tell you to never date your best friend because when you break up, you can't be friends again ever? Well, **that** is what Rosemary is afraid will happen if she tells Dickie how she feels about him. And vice versa for him. Because we all know he doesn't love Isabitch!"

"Even though he's deluded himself into thinking that he does!" Maureen snickered.

"But what if she's right, girls? What if Dickie doesn't believe her?" Kathleen inquired. "What if it **does** end up ruining their friendship?"

"Then, he's an idiot!" Lizzie replied.

"Let's go ask Mom about it," Maureen suggested, getting off of the bed. "She always knows what to do."

"I **still** think she should take the chance and tell him," Lizzie said as she and Maureen went downstairs to find their mother.

"Now I know why Dad doesn't gamble," Kathleen muttered to herself as she got up and followed her sisters. "Except with birth control."

**So, Rosemary's divided while the sisters are united (somewhat) on what she should do about the cheating girlfriend. But will Rosemary risk rejection and losing her friendship with Dickie to tell him the truth? Will Dickie ever find out the truth about his popular girlfriend? Stay tuned for the next chapter! And please start reviewing to feed my creativity...now!**


	10. Chapter 10

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Hey! Another update because I know the suspense is killing you! And if you guys know people on FanFic or have readers, please encourage them to read my story! _Please_! I really want this story to go places! Enjoy!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Ten

Kathy was down in the kitchen chopping up vegetables to go into the chicken stir-fry she would be cooking to go along with the roast beef and mashed potatoes. She knew chicken stir-fry was Rosemary's favorite dish. It would pleasant to have Rosemary staying with them. Elliott had always said she was all but their daughter. All she had to do was get a blood transfusion, change her last name to Stabler and move in with them to make it official.

Elliott. Kathy put down the knife and gazed out into the backyard where Rosemary was seated on the porch steps, watching the leaves blow gently in the summer breeze. How long would he stay at work tonight? Would _she_ be there? She'd always thought something was going on between the two of them, but she'd never said anything; never hinted at her feelings because she'd always been the dutiful, faithful wife. But she couldn't take it anymore. Couldn't take how gentle his voice became when he talked about her, spoke to her on the phone, or didn't come home at night because he was so busy looking out for _her_. Olivia Benson. His partner and, as Kathy suspected, the _real_ love of his life.

"Mom?" Kathleen's voice startled Kathy out of her selfish thoughts and she turned to see her three daughters standing in the kitchen.

"Yes, sweetie? What is it?"

"We need your advice," Maureen told her. "There's a…situation going on that involves Rosemary and Dickie."

"Oh my! Go on, girls!" Kathy prodded. In a few minutes, they'd explained the entire situation of Isabelle's cheating to their mother, adding in Rosemary's feelings about telling her best friend what was going on behind his back.

"We all think she should tell him," Lizzie informed her mother. "But we also know that she's got a lot to lose if this ends…badly."

"Well, girls. First of all, I'm shocked that this girl would do something like that to Richard. Even though I wasn't too fond of her when he brought her here the first time, she still looked like a polite, respectful young lady, and I thought that Richard was old enough and mature enough to make a wise decision. Second, I hope you all didn't pressure her into making a decision. This is something she needs to figure out on her own, and you all need to be there to support her. Third and most of all, you need to support whatever decision your brother makes regarding this girl."

"WHAT?" Lizzie screeched.

"Mom. With all due respect…ARE YOU NUTS?" Maureen snapped.

"Richard is your brother. End of story," Kathy explained. "Now, he's a teenage boy, and they're not exactly fully mature yet to see what counts as "true beauty". But you also have to realize that sooner or later, he's going to realize what he passed up for the sake of some popular girl who cheated on him with his best friend. And by then, it might be too late for him. And he'll have to deal with that pain whether he likes it or not. But the last thing he needs is a bunch of women telling him "I told you so". You don't kick a horse when it's down and expect it to get up."

"Thanks, Mom."

* * *

Rosemary was watching the leaves blowing gently in the summer breeze. She wished she was a tree. At least **they** never had to worry about their best friends hating them for telling the truth.

"Hey, Rose." _Damn it! _she thought as she looked up into the blue eyes of Richard D. Stabler. _Oh well. Might as well get this over with!_

"Hey, Rich."

"Can I sit with you?"

"I guess." He sat down beside her, his left arm stretched out behind her. His arm was technically around her, right? "Sooo…"

"Listen, Rose. I need to apologize for what I said to you earlier. I don't what came over me. I didn't even realize how shallow and stupid I was being. Rose, you're my best friend, but you're more than that. You're a beautiful, successful, caring young woman with a heart of gold and the ability to forgive anyone of anything. Can you find it in you to forgive me for what I said about Officer Fletcher and you?"

"Of course, Rich. You're my best friend, too. I forgive you. And don't worry about Officer Fletcher so much. I don't think I'll be seeing him around much."

"Date didn't go well, huh?"

"Nah. We're just too…_different_ is all." _Yeah. He's a wannabe cop and I'm a famous author! Those two worlds? **Light-years **away!_

"Well, I'm glad to have my best friend back," Richard told her, scooping her into a one-armed hug. She smiled and hugged him back, silently running around in little circles in her head, jumping and screaming like a maniac.

"Me too, Rich. Me too." Then, her stomach sank. This camaraderie could all vanish if she told him the truth about his girlfriend Isabelle. She didn't think she'd be able to handle that. But if he could have the guts to apologize to her after saying something so cruel, she needed to have the courage to do this.

"Well. I'm gonna go call Nick and see if we're still on for our Study Jam tonight." He was just about to get up when Rosemary shouted, "Dickie, wait!" He froze and then sat back down.

"What's up, Rose? You look upset."

"There's…there's something you need to know."

* * *

"I can't believe this," Elliott murmured as he drove Olivia to her apartment. "I can't damn well believe this."

"Elliott. I know this is a shock, but…" Olivia began, but Elliott cut her off.

"A **shock**? 'Liv! This is a downright catastrophe! My son's girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend! I've known Nicky for years! Good kid, football player, always came to Mass on Sundays. And I thought the girl was a good catch! You know, level-headed, polite, respectful…"

"Elliott. You have to talk to him about this," Olivia reasoned.

"Oh I'm talking to him about it! Right after he breaks up with the two-timing slut!"

"Elliott! You know I don't like that word used around me!"

"I'm sorry, 'Liv. I just…can't believe this. My son is getting cheated on by a girl? Didn't I bring him up right? Did I pass on some sort of genetic defect when it came to appearance?"

"Elliott. This is **not** Dickie's fault. Or **yours**. It's obvious that this girl doesn't care that she's hurting him. The best thing that he can do once he finds out is end the relationship and take some time to think about what he really wants in a woman."

"And what if Rosemary doesn't tell him?"

"Your goddaughter's never run away from what she's had to before, has she?"

"No."

"Then she won't start now. Especially since it involves her best friend."

"You're right, 'Liv. Thanks." Finally, they reached her apartment complex and Elliott pulled up beside the curb in front of the steps.

"Thanks for the lift home, El."

"Anytime, 'Liv. Anytime."

"Well…goodnight." Before she could turn away, Elliott grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed his lips to hers gently. Olivia closed her eyes for a moment and let the warmth of the bliss wash over her. She was finally kissing the man of her dreams. But he was still married, and she could never ask him to do something like cheat on his wife with her. She pulled away as Elliott tried to deepen the kiss.

"El. Your wife. Your family," she breathed as he sat back, panting lightly.

"Yeah. I…I'd better…"

"Yeah. Yeah, you should…I'm just going to…" Without another word, Olivia raced out of the car and up the steps, searching for her key as she heard Elliott's car thunder off into the night.

* * *

Jacob sat back on his bed, staring at the portrait of Rosemary he'd had blown up and printed off at a copy shop in Midtown. It was from the back of her latest _Monster High_ novel, and in this one, she was sitting under her favorite tree back home, hugging her knees to her chest. Jacob sighed as he looked at her beautiful, still eyes and her gorgeous, frozen smile. Just then, a knock on his door made him sit up and bang his head on the headboard.

"What?" he snapped, rubbing his aching head. A man entered his room.

"What the hell's wrong with you, Jake?" the man snarled fiercely.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jake snapped back.

"I just got word from our man inside that the cops are closing in on you!" the man informed him, slapping him hard in the skull. "That wannabe and our precious Rosemary spilled the beans on your little "chat" with her!"

"Look. I screwed up, OK? It won't happen again. I took care of the cop."

"No, you didn't. If you'd "taken care of him", he'd be in the frickin' morgue where he's supposed to be!"

"Fine. You want me to take care of this?"

"No. You've screwed up enough for one night. Lemme call an old friend and see if he can't fix this for us."

* * *

"There's…there's something I need to tell you." Dickie felt himself swallow hard as he sat back down beside Rosemary. He remembered that day three years ago when she'd told him she was moving away. Had something happened to her on her date with Fletcher? Dickie mentally gasped. _Oh my God! Did that bastard rape her? If he did, I'm gonna kill him before Dad arrests him!_

"Alright. Shoot."

"I…I don't know how to tell you this."

"It's OK, Rose. Just tell me what happened."

"Promise that you won't hate me for telling you this?"

"Why would I hate you for telling me you were raped, Rose?"

"Raped? I wasn't raped, Dickie."

"Oh." He felt his cheeks go red with embarrassment. _Good one, Stabler!_ He scolded himself. **_Real _**_smooth!_ "Then, what is it?"

"It's about your girlfriend."

"OK? What is it?"

"Well, I was on Facebook just randomly, and I saw her talking to Nicholas, your best friend."

"Yeah? They talk all the time. So what?"

"So…some of the things they were saying suggested that they'd been …_intimate._" Dickie's jaw dropped for a moment.

"Wait a second. Are you telling me that my girlfriend slept with my best friend?"

"Look, I'm sorry. But I had to tell you."

"You're sorry? Man, how could you make this up?"

"What? I'm not! It's the truth! Look. I'll show you the messages." She quickly unlocked her phone and logged in to Facebook. Praying that the messages were still there, Rosemary felt her heart beat faster when she still saw them there. She pressed each one and allowed Dickie to read each of them.

"Oh my God!" he breathed, putting his head in his hands as he read the last one.

"Rich. I know this is hard. But at least now that you know the truth, you can…"

"The truth?" Dickie repeated, raising his head and looking at her incredulously. "Rosemary, you're misreading everything!"

"Huh?"

"Look. Sometimes guys post those things on her Wall and, rather than cuss them off, Isabelle just rolls with the punches and plays along. I admit, the first time I saw those messages, I freaked out too, but I…"

"Oh, for goodness sake, Rich! Open your eyes! This girl is **cheating** on you! This kind of stuff is stuff you **don't** joke about!"

"Rosemary, are you listening to me? This is nothing to worry about. It happens all the time."

"My God, Dickie! Are you so desperate to be popular that you're willing to let some tramp use you like this? What happened to your pride and your dignity?"

"How dare you call Isabelle a tramp! You know, maybe you're just jealous of her. A lot of girls are!"

"What? Why would **I** be jealous of **her**?"

"Well, she's beautiful, popular, cool, a cheerleader, a dancer, intelligent, and she's got a boyfriend who sticks with her. Unlike you!"

"Wow. So I suppose your sisters are jealous of her, too? Because they seem to be backing me up on this!"

"Look. My sisters have their own lives, and I have mine! And you know what? Unless I ask you specifically to come into my life, stay out of it, Rosemary Thomas!"

"Rich. You're my best friend! I…"

"Yeah? Well, you've got a funny way of showing it: insulting my girlfriend, making up lies about little things like this! Some best friend you are!"

"Oh. So because I'm not playing it off like your moron guy friends, I'm not a good best friend? You know what? Fine! If you wanna let that tramp humiliate and disrespect you like that, then fine! Just don't say you never got fair warning from me!" Rosemary jumped up and stormed off into the house. Stomping up the stairs, she blew past the three sisters and went into her guestroom, slamming the door shut and locking it. And even though they couldn't see her face, through the wall of Kathleen's room next door, they could hear the young author sobbing frustratingly into her pillow.

**Aww. Why must I be so cruel to poor Rosemary? Will Dickie ever discover the truth about his girlfriend? Will he and Rosemary ever be able to become friends again? And who is this mysterious man working with Jacob who's got his eyes set on eliminating Fletcher? Stay tuned for more What Are Friends For? to find out. And reviews please. Starting...now!**


	11. Chapter 11

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Hey!Thank you to Queen S of Randomness 016 for reviewing! Keep it up! And if you guys know people on FanFic or have readers, please encourage them to read my story! _Please_! I really want this story to go places! Enjoy!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Eleven

Elliott pulled into the driveway of his house. Shutting off the engine, he rested his head on the steering wheel and thought about what'd just happened. He'd kissed his partner, the woman he'd been working with for twelve, long years. He had a pretty wife, four, beautiful children, and a new baby on the way. How could he do something like that to Kathy? To his kids, including his unborn child? But there was just something inside of him that broke like water from a dam. When he thought of Olivia, her hair, her smile, her laugh, the way she could grill a perp better than some of the male cops he'd seen, he felt himself groan with longing. He couldn't deny it any longer.

He was in love with Olivia Benson.

Hurrying out of the car, he almost ran into his son, Dickie, who was barreling out of the house, book bag slung over his shoulder.

"Hey, hey! Where's the fire, champ?" Elliott asked, grabbing his son's shoulders. Dickie looked up into his father's eyes, and Elliott could tell almost instantly that something was upsetting his son. "You alright?"

"'M fine, Dad," Dickie muttered, pulling away from his father and walking down the driveway towards the sidewalk. Nick lived two streets down from Richard, who'd usually bike there, but he needed the walk to clear his head from the fight with Rosemary. Elliott watched his son go before heading inside.

"Kathy, baby!" Elliott called from the hall. His wife came out of the kitchen, kissed him, and then led him into the kitchen. The food smelled delicious, but Elliott knew that his wife hadn't dragged him into the kitchen to admire her culinary skills.

"Elliott, we need to talk," Kathy told him seriously.

"I know, honey."

"It's about Dickie."

"You mean the fact that his girlfriend's cheating on him with our son's best friend?"

"How did you…?"

"Rosemary told Olivia and then she told me."

"Oh. So, you _had_ to find out from Olivia."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"No. Just say what you were going to say."

"Elliott, I said forget it."

"C'mon, Kathy. Just…"

"I said DROP IT!"

"Alright. So, did Rosemary tell him?"

"Judging by the way she's barricaded herself in her room and how Dickie looked like he was going to go and fight someone, I'd say yes."

"He doesn't believe her?"

"I don't think it's that he **doesn't** believe her. I think it's that he doesn't **want** to believe her. He probably thinks all his guy friends at school will think he's nuts for believing her."

"Rosemary would **not** lie about something like this! She's his best friend!"

"I know that. You know that. Our daughters know that. But **he** either doesn't know or, the more likely explanation, is that he wants to keep his popularity so desperately that he's willing to sacrifice the one person in his life he knows he can count on to keep it."

"How's Rosemary?"

"Miserable. You should talk to her."

"Me? Kathy, I…"

"Elliott, she respects and loves you. I can't think of anyone else she'd want to talk to more than you right now."

* * *

Brad slipped down and in through the window. He knew he was blowing his chances at the academy, but he had to find some evidence to ensure that Wayne Hankett was sent to prison. He thought of Rosemary just then. She probably knew by now that he wasn't a real cop, but he was determined not to be a screw-up anymore. With some evidence, he'd be able to help out Jo, Elliott, Olivia and SVU. He'd be a hero.

Just then, he heard what sounded like a little girl screaming and crying. It sounded like the noise was coming from downstairs. Like the cop he planned to be someday, he crept out of what looked like Wayne's room and down the stairs.

* * *

The phone rang. Inside his small bungalow house, Mr. Hankett, an aging man of 60, was watching a video. It rang again. Mr. Hankett answered it. It was probably his loser son, Wayne, calling him to beg for help. The little boy couldn't do anything right.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Hankett. Remember me?" Mr. Hankett smiled. An old friend from the other side of town and a man after his own heart was calling him. He hadn't heard his voice in almost five years.

"Of course I remember you. What can I do for ya?"

"Well, there's a young man named Fletcher who's in your house right now snooping for evidence that'll hurt you and your son."

"What?"

"Yep. He's in there right now. Now, listen closely. I'm prepared to…_reward_ an upstanding citizen like yourself ."

"What kinda reward are we talking about?"

"$100,000."

"$100,000? For turning in some guy who broke into my house? Sure!"

"Mr. Hankett. I don't want you to turn Fletcher in to the police."

"Then, what do ya want me to do?"

"I want you to kill him."

* * *

"Rosemary! It's me, Elliott!" Elliott called through the wood of the door to Rosemary's room.

"Go away!" she yelled back, her voice slightly muffled by a pillow most likely.

"Can I talk to you, Rosemary? Please?" Elliott asked. There was silence for a few moments, and then Elliott heard someone padding across the carpet and the lock of the door clicking. The door opened to reveal the tear-stained face of a red-eyed, sniffling Rosemary.

"Oh, Rosie!" Elliott murmured, hugging the young girl like she was his own daughter. Rosemary sniffled and tried to hold back the fresh tears that were springing in her eyes.

"Elliott! Why doesn't he believe me?" she sobbed.

"Sometimes, people are confused about who really loves them, Rosie," Elliott replied. "And sometimes, some people want something so badly that they're willing to sacrifice the more important things in life to get it. That's what Dickie's doing now. But believe me, Rosie: the truth has a way of coming out, so sooner or later, Dickie's gonna find out, and then he's gonna have to bear both the shame of not believing his best friend who was looking out for him and the embarrassment of having the evidence right in front of him and making excuses for it. You've done your part, Rosemary. Now, you let God do the rest."

"Thanks, Elliott," Rosemary told him, squeezing him tightly. Elliott chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"No problem, kiddo," he answered. Just then, pounding footsteps could be heard on the stairs and Elliott turned to see Kathy racing towards him with the cordless phone in her hand.

"Elliott, it's Jo," Kathy panted. "She says it's urgent." Elliott released Rosemary and then took the phone from his wife.

"Hello? Jo? Whoa, whoa! Slow down! He what? Oh my God! Why the Hell did he do that? Stay there! I'll call 'Liv and we'll be there as fast as we can!" He hung up the phone.

"Elliott, what's wrong?" Rosemary inquired, taking in the scared look on her godfather's face.

"That was Jo Marlowe calling from Mercy General," Elliott replied.

"Is she alright?"

"She's fine. But Brad Fletcher's not." He watched as his goddaughter's face paled when he mentioned the wannabe cop's name.

"What happened to him?"

"He's been shot."

* * *

Jacob and his "associate" as he'd taken to calling his partner were having dinner in a high-end restaurant in The Village when his associate's phone began ringing. The man quickly excused himself from the table and went outside to take the call.

"Hello?"

"It's Hankett, sir."

"Ah, Mr. Hankett. What do you have to tell me?"

"It's done."

"Fletcher?"

"Got 'im right in the chest. Trying to sneak up on me, that's what I told the cops. They took 'im away in an ambulance, and one woman was covered in his blood."

"Good. Good."

"And my money?"

"It'll be wired into your personal account by tomorrow afternoon. Job well done, old friend." With that, the man hung up and headed back to the table where Jacob was sitting, gazing down at his plate.

"Fletcher?" Jacob asked casually.

"No longer a factor," the man replied, smiling. Jacob looked a little uneasy, which his associate noticed.

"What's **your** problem?" he asked harshly.

"I know he was interfering, but did we **have** to kill him?" Jacob inquired. The man snorted.

"Let me remind you that this whole mess started because **you** couldn't keep your mouth shut around the target!" the man hissed. "Grow some balls, kid. If you're gonna get squeamish every time we need to eliminate someone, then I'll just have to cap you, too." Jacob's face betrayed the fear he felt, but then it became impassive once more.

"He had to go anyway," Jacob said in a dead tone. "Sooner or later, he would've fingered me."

"Which wouldn't be good for either of us. So, stop being a pussy and smile like you've just won the lottery." The man then summoned a waiter.

"The best scotch for myself and my young apprentice here, sir," he ordered. "And you'll be receiving a very handsome tip at the end of this evening." The waiter smiled. He was so naïve, so trusting. The man could've fooled an idiot like this even if he were drunk and half-witted.

"Celebrating some good news, sir?" the waiter chuckled. The man matched the waiter grin-for-grin.

"The very best, sir."

* * *

_Why would Rosemary make up something like this? _Richard wondered to himself as he reached the front steps of Nicholas's house. _It's not like her. Maybe…maybe she **is** telling the truth. Yeah, sure! Get a grip, Stabler! If she was right this time, the that would mean your girlfriend's slept with over half a dozen guys by those messages you saw alone! And **that** is something she would **never** do to you! Izzy loves you!_

"Nick!" he called, knocking on the door. He reached for the doorknob and turned it. It moved easily in his hand and the door opened. Stepping inside, he nearly tripped over a pair of esperadrilles. Since Nick didn't have any sisters, Richard guessed that Nick had a girl over. He knew the guy had a bit of a reputation, but Nick knew they were supposed to be chilling tonight and studying. Richard decided to at least go and let Nick know that he'd come back later.

Silently jogging up the stairs with his shoes still on, Richard walked down the hall and stopped at Nick's room door. He could hear kissing on the other side, but he decided that despite still being a virgin, he was gonna tell his friend what he had to tell him. Taking a deep breath, Richard turned the knob and entered the room.

"Yo, Nick! I know you've got company over, so I'm gonna…" He began to say, but his jaw dropped at the sight of his best friend on top of someone. Nick quickly rolled off the girl and sat up in his bed. The girl too shot up and Richard felt his heart seize as he took in the blond hair, jade-green eyes and tanned, cashew-colored skin. He looked from the girl to the tangle of clothes that lay on his best friend's bedroom floor. Girl and guy clothes were tangled about. He looked back up and saw confusion in the girl's eye, but that was it. No remorse, no guilt, no feelings of shame whatsoever.

"ISABELLE?" She looked at him, the sheets clutched in her hands, covering her bare body.

"Hey, Richie. What's up?"

"What's up? **What's up? **You're having sex with my best friend, and all you can say is, "What's up?"? How about "Oh my God!" or "I'm sorry, babe!"?"

"Take it easy, Rich," Nick advised.

"You shut up!" Richard snapped furiously. "I trusted you, man! You're my **boy**! And you go and do this behind my back with **my **girlfriend?"

"Richie, calm down!" Isabelle told him bluntly.

"I can't believe you! I thought you loved me!"

"I do, Richie!"

"You've got a funny way of showing it!"

"I do love, Richie. It's just…you're kind of…_boring_."

"WHAT?"

"I mean, you never wanna do anything and stuff, so I started looking for it somewhere else."

"How long?"

"What?"

"HOW LONG have you been doing this?"

"Only a month."

"A month? Oh my God! And those other messages from those other guys? Did you hook up with them, too?"

"Yes. Richie. Baby. Please understand."

"Oh, I understand! We're through, Isabelle! I'm done with looking like a chump! I'm done with making excuses for you! And if it means I'm done being popular, then I'm done with that, too! I'm not gonna keep being dissed like this!"

"Baby, please!"

"No. Have fun, Nick. And don't even bother trying to talk to me at school, dude. As of right now, we're complete strangers!" With that, Richard stormed out of the room, stomped down the stairs and rushed out of his ex-best friend's house. He was going home. And the only thought on his mind was exactly how much begging he'd have to do to win Rosemary back as his best friend. Or win her at all.

**So, that's the last we're ever gonna see of Isabelle. Ever. Yah! I feel kinda bad for Richard, but at the same time, denying the evidence when it's right in front of you. Also, Jacob's friend is even more psycho than he is (creepy)! So, will he win Rosemary back as his best friend? Will Fletcher survive? And who is Jacob's associate? Stay tuned for the chapter of this story to find out. And reviews please...now!**


	12. Chapter 12

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Hey!Thank you to Queen S of Randomness 016, Bommiej and 40musicrocks13 for reviewing! Keep it up! And if you guys know people on FanFic or have readers, please encourage them to read my story! _Please_! I really want this story to go places! Sorry for being gone so long, guys. I was busy with my TMNT story and life, but now I'm back! Anyways, enjoy!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Twelve

"Rosemary, I don't think you should come," Elliott said as he pulled on his shoes. "Right now, I need to take Brad's statement and be prepared for a hell of a lot of paperwork and bad press."

"I don't care! I'm going!" Rosemary replied defiantly, pulling on her sandals. "Brad saved me from that psycho, Jacob! I need to see him, Elliott! I have to!" _Shot. Brad's been **shot**!_ she thought in her head._ I have to be there for him. I don't care if he's not a cop. He's an amazing guy, and he doesn't deserve to go through something like this alone!_

_She really cares about this guy,_ Elliott thought to himself. _Even after all the hell she saw us put him through, after we exposed his lies, she still cares about him._

"Alright," Elliott surrendered. "But you'll have to stay outside the room until we're finished interviewing him. This is a possible attempted murder investigation, and all the information we collect can't become public knowledge until we bring charges before the grand jury. Got it?"

"Got it."

* * *

Jacob was lying on his large, four poster bed, reading a novel when his associate came in, looking furious and aggravated.

"What's wrong?" the young man asked casually, closing his book and sitting up. His associate didn't say a word as his fist came slamming into Jacob's jaw, sending the young man sprawling across his bed.

"What the hell?" Jacob spat, rubbing the swollen, aching jawbone. His associate took another swing at him, but Jacob was ready for him and countered with a hard kick to the stomach. His associate doubled over in pain. Jacob seized his associate by the hair and jerked his head up hard. In what seemed like seconds, a large, hunting knife was at his associate's throat.

"Now, what the hell is going on?" Jacob breathed harshly into the man's ear, pressing the blade against the man's warm neck.

"What're you gonna do with that butter knife, runt? Kill me?" his associate taunted. "Then how will you get to Rosemary?"

"I can make my own plans."

"But you don't have half the connections I do, boy. Now, listen. We both want something from this girl. We both benefit from the other's…capabilities. Now, if you ever want to see this girl, you'll toss that blade and listen to me loud and clear." Jacob hesitated for a moment, but then tossed the knife aside a good distance away from his bed so that his partner couldn't turn the tables on him.

"So, what's the 9-1-1?"

"Fletcher."

"I thought he was dead."

"So did I. Apparently that fool Hankett needs to learn how to shoot somebody properly so that they **don't** survive."

"Where is he? Fletcher, I mean?"

"According to my informant, Mercy General Hospital. He said he's stable. Some A.D.A. is there with him. And SVU Detective Elliott Stabler is on the way there with his partner, Olivia Benson as we speak."

"What are we going to do?"

"Nothing. We wait until our informant calls back with more information. Then, we tie up the loose ends that half-impotent fool left dangling!"

* * *

"Mom? I'm home!" Richard shouted from the doorway of the house. He kicked off his sneakers and walked towards the kitchen. His mother came out, drying her hands on a towel.

"Hey, Rich. You're home early from Nick's," Kathy observed. Richard quickly looked down at the ground to avoid any eye contact with his mother. But Kathy, being the mother of four children, knew that something was bothering her only son. "Did something happen between you and Nick?"

_Yeah! _Dickie thought bitterly to himself. _I found out we're both sharing the same girl, who's also been sleeping around on me while I was madly in love with her!_

"Nothing big really."

"Still upset about the fight with Rosemary?"

"Yeah. I guess so. Is she up in her room? I..um… need to talk to her."

"I'm sorry, Rich. But she's gone with Elliott to the hospital."

"The hospital? What happened?"

"Apparently, someone named Brad Fletcher was shot. She was quite worried and demanded that your father take her with him."

_Great!_ Dickie thought bitterly to himself. _Now that I realize what a jerk I've been to her, Hero Cop goes and gets shot in the line of duty! Fabulous! She'll never want anything to do with me now!_

"Um…that's alright. I guess I'll talk to her later. Is Lizzie still here?"

"In her room."

"Thanks, Mom." Richard quickly hurried up the stairs and knocked loudly on his sister's room door.

"What is it?" Lizzie yelled.

"It's Dickie! We need to talk!" Richard shouted back through the wood. There was silence on the other side of the door. "C'mon, Lizzie! Code blue!" He heard rustling before the door was unlocked and swung open. Lizzie stood at the side, eyes ablaze with anger. No doubt his sister knew not only about Isabelle's promiscuous ways, but also about the fight Rosemary and Dickie had had.

"You've got two minutes," she told him as he came into her room and slammed the door closed behind him. She sat down on her bed.

"I need to talk to you about Rosemary."

"That's why you called a code blue? Since when is it a code blue to rag on the girl who was your best friend and was only trying to protect you?"

"I know, Lizzie. I…"

"No. You **don't** know! You'd rather make excuses for some bimbo who's sneaking around on you than believe the only girl beside Mom and us who's ever given a damn about you!"

"Lizzie, listen to me. I…"

"No! I'm done listening to your excuses for that pom-pom waving, backstabbing tramp! If you came here to rag on Rosemary, then I'm sorry! Find yourself another playmate, Skipper, because I'm not gonna betray my best friend just to make you feel better about your sorry self!"

"Lizzie! Will you just listen to me? I'm so sorry, OK? I…I caught Isabelle cheating on me with another guy."

"Wait! You actually walked in on them….?" Lizzie began, but when Dickie nodded, she immediately screamed in disgust. "Oh good Lord! Who was the guy?"

"Nick."

"Nick the Campus Dick?"

"And formerly my best friend? Yeah. I broke up with her and broke off my friendship with him."

"That's the first sensible thing you've done in a while!"

"Tell me about it! Does Rosemary hate my guts?"

"**I** would if I were her."

"Thank God you aren't, then!"

"She's still pretty upset, Dickie. Maybe you should keep your distance for a while. You know, until things settle down a bit?"

"You're right, Lizzie." Then, he smacked his forehead. "I've been such a jerk!" he shouted.

"**That** is the understatement of the year," Lizzie replied.

"Thanks a lot, sis."

"Look, you made this mess, and now, if you ever want your best friend back, you need to fix it. Pronto."

* * *

"And then, I turned around and he was standing there with the gun pointed at me," Fletcher said. Olivia quickly scribbled it down on her notepad. Elliott and Olivia were standing on one side of Fletcher's hospital bed while Jo Marlowe stood on the other.

"What happened next?" Elliott asked.

"He was smiling when he saw me," Fletcher whispered weakly, shifting a little under the hospital covers. "Then, when I tried to reach for the gun, he shot me."

"Now, do you remember anything before you confronted him, Fletcher?" Olivia inquired. "Any noises? Sounds? Voices?"

"He was watching a video of the second rape victim being attacked," Fletcher answered, gritting his teeth together. "And that old man was getting off on it. Then, the phone rang and he talked to someone. He turned up the volume on the TV, so I couldn't hear what he was saying. Then, he hung up the phone and went into the other room. I crept in to grab the tape, and then I heard something click, and turned around to see him standing there with the gun. I was just trying to help. I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't even cover this, kid! Do you know that Hankett's pressing charges against you?" Marlowe demanded angrily. "And that you just blew your shot at the academy?"

"Back off him, Jo!" Rosemary snapped, flying into the room. She pushed past her godfather and his partner and stood at Fletcher's bedside. The young man was shocked by the sight of her standing next to him. He thought she'd abandoned him, forgotten the lying, made-up hero cop he'd pretended to be. Instead, here she was, standing next to him, defending him. He felt like he was soaring on clouds.

"Rosemary? What're you doing in here? I told you to wait outside and we'll call you in!" Elliott reminded her.

"First rule of conducting interviews, Elliott: always close the door," Rosemary shot back. "I heard everything. Couldn't we use this tape against Hankett somehow to build the case against him?"

"You may have a point there, kid," Jo replied thoughtfully. Rosemary smiled down at Brad.

"Then, he's got another shot at the academy?" Rosemary prodded.

"Alright," Jo agreed. Then, she smacked Fletcher lightly in the head. "But I don't wanna see you back here ever! Got it?"

"Got it," Fletcher replied as Jo smiled and walked out of the room. Just then, Olivia's cell phone rang and she stepped outside to answer it.

"Rosemary. You came to see me," Brad whispered.

"Of course I did, silly," Rosemary chuckled, ruffling his hair playfully. "I always visit my friends in the hospital. Especially the ones who've been shot while trying to help the cops."

"Something I'd better not catch you doing ever again, eh, Fletcher?" Elliott asked.

"Yes, sir," Brad replied firmly. Just then, Olivia poked her head back in the room.

"That was Warner. She wants us down at the lab pronto. You coming, Rosemary?" Olivia inquired as Elliott started for the door.

"I think I'll stay here with Brad for a little while longer," Rosemary replied. "There are some things we still need to discuss. In private."

"Well, we'll be coming back here later. But if anything happens, get one of the doctors or call 9-1-1," Elliott instructed her.

"Yes, **Dad**," Rosemary answered, rolling her eyes. Fletcher smiled even wider as the two detectives left. Just then, a male nurse passed them and came into the room.

"Vitals look stable. Heart rate normal. You're good for now, kid," he said aloud. There was a log attached to the EKG machine, which the male nurse quickly signed and dated. Then, he turned to Rosemary and smiled.

"Hey! Aren't you Rosemary Thomas, the famous teen author?" he demanded excitedly. She smiled and nodded. "Oh my gosh! I…I can't believe I'm actually talking to you! Just wait until all my friends hear about this!" With that, he dashed out of the room, doing a crazy little dance.

"Great!" Brad groaned playfully, flopping back onto his pillows. "Now the paparazzi are gonna be swarming this place when they hear that you're here, Rosemary!"

"Don't worry about that, Brad," Rosemary laughed, tousling his hair again. "I can handle the paparazzi. No problem!"

* * *

"You're sure it's her?" the voice on the other end asked. The male nurse nodded. The minute he saw her, he knew he'd be placing this call.

"Positive. She's with some cop who got shot. Though if you ask me, he looks like a kid."

"A cop? Was his name Fletcher?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Never mind how I know. Is she alone with him?"

"Yes."

"Make sure it stays that way. My associate will be coming by to…escort Miss Thomas home. He'll be wearing a black leather jacket and dark sunglasses. He'll give you a nod, say he's a cousin of Fletcher's. You'll lead him to the room and then turn a blind eye when he and Miss Thomas leave together."

"And what do I get in return for turning a blind eye?"

"$50,000. It'll be wired to your personal account as soon as my associate calls me and tells me he has the girl. Do we have a deal?" The male nurse thought of his wife, pregnant with their first child, unemployed, and how good that money would do their little baby once he or she was born.

"Deal."

* * *

"I analyzed the gunshot residue on Fletcher's shirt and matched to a scenario where the weapon was fired at close range," Melinda Warner, the Medical Examiner, informed them. "The blood pool as well as the powder burns on his shirt is consistent with being shot at a three foot distance."

"But that doesn't make sense," Olivia countered. "Hankett told us that he was at least ten feet from Fletcher when he shot him."

"If he was further, there wouldn't have been as much GSR," Warner replied firmly. "With a further shot, there would've been less congealed blood. The only pattern that matched Fletcher's shirt was a shot from three feet away." Just then, one of Melinda's lab associates came forward and handed her a note. "It's from your Captain. You need to get back to your precinct. Apparently, TARU's got something."

"So, what's with the call?" Elliott asked Captain Cragen as the two detectives walked into SVU's precinct.

"TARU dumped Hankett's phone records and found that he got an incoming call from a prepaid cell phone about ten minutes before Fletcher was shot," Fin informed them, holding out some papers.

"Well, that confirms part of Fletcher's story," Elliott commented. "He told us Hankett was on the phone with someone before he went and got the gun."

"Did he also mention getting paid for his services?" John inquired pointedly. All eyes turned to the aging police sergeant. "Warner called and told us the results of the tests she ran on Fletcher's shirt. So, on a hunch, I called the bank Hankett uses. The manager said that someone called a little over an hour ago about wiring money into Hankett's account."

"How much are we talking?" Elliott asked.

"A hundred thousand big ones, my friend," John answered.

"And how much you wanna bet it's not from winning the lottery," Fin jumped in.

"Now I'm no genius, but a mysterious phone call, close range shot to the chest, and big cash being wired into a bank account can only mean one thing to me," Cragen theorized.

"This was no self-defense shooting," Olivia concluded, looking horrified. "This was a hit."

"And if whoever hired Hankett finds out that Fletcher's still breathin', both Hankett and Fletcher are dead," Fin told them bluntly. Just then, someone came in and handed a note to Cragen.

"TARU was monitoring the hospital's phone records just in case Hankett tried contacting the place," Cragen read. "There was an outgoing call from the trauma ward to a prepaid cell in The Village."

"Same number?" Olivia inquired.

"That'd make it too easy," Fin countered.

"Lucky for us then," Cragen finished. "It **is** the same number."

"Looks like the person who hired Hankett has a mole in the hospital that's come above ground," John muttered. "Whoever they are, they must be sending someone to finish the job."

Olivia turned and saw Elliott's face turn pale like he'd just seen a ghost.

"Son of a bitch!" he shouted, tearing out of the precinct.

"Elliott!" Olivia shouted, but he was out of range in three seconds.

"What's with him?" Fin asked. It was then that Olivia's face once again became a mask of horror as it dawned on her what Elliott had realized only moments ago.

"We left Rosemary at the hospital with Fletcher."

**Dun dun dun! Cliffhanger! So, will Jacob eliminate Fletcher? Will Elliott and the SVU squad get to the hospital in time to save the two teens? And when will Rosemary and Richard make up? Stay tuned for the upcoming chapters of What Are Friends For? to find out! Reviews feed my creativity guys, so use that little button at the bottom. Please and thank you! And...review!**


	13. Chapter 13

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Hey!Thank you to Queen S of Randomness 016 and Bommiej for reviewing! Keep it up! And if you guys know people on FanFic or have readers, please encourage them to read my story if you can! _Please_! I really want this story to go places! Sorry for being gone so long, guys. I was busy with my other story and life, but now I'm back! Anyways, enjoy!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Thirteen

_Mercy General Hospital_

_Brad Fletcher's room_

"So, I guess you know about my…identity?" Brad Fletcher inquired. Rosemary nodded her head, causing Brad to look down at the hospital sheets.

"You probably think I'm some pathetic wannabe who'll never be a real cop," Brad said sullenly, eyes trained on the sheets.

"You may not be a cop right now, Brad, but that doesn't mean you won't become one someday," Rosemary replied gently. He looked up into her eyes. They were sincere and truthful. She was being a hundred percent honest with him.

"You really think I'll be a cop someday?"

"After seeing how you handled Jacob back at the restaurant, I think you'll make an amazing cop, **Officer Fletcher**." He practically beamed as she softly giggled at his expression. He was so sweet and thoughtful. Not to mention quite a piece of eye candy. Maybe holding out hope that Dickie would wake up from his Isabelle-induced coma and come to his senses was too much to hope for. Maybe God was trying to lead her in a different direction. And that Brad Fletcher was the man who'd be with her on that journey in that direction.

"So, since our plans for tonight were so rudely interrupted twice, how about I make it up to you with dinner at a nice restaurant in the Village tomorrow night, Rosemary?" Rich's face crossed her mind, but she dismissed it almost immediately. If he was gonna keep bragging about going on dates with Isabelle and using Little Miss Two-Faced as an excuse for why they couldn't hang out together, then maybe it was time that he got a taste of his own medicine.

"Brad, that's so sweet of you. Of course I'll go out with you tomorrow night. That is, if you're cleared by then."

"Oh, don't worry. Young bones heal fast."

"It wasn't your bone that got hit by a bullet, Brad! Remember?"

"Right. But still, whenever I'm medically cleared to leave this hospital, you're first on my list of priorities."

"Oh, Brad! That's **so** sweet!" Suddenly, the door to the hospital room flew open and a very familiar figure came busting in. Brad Fletcher looked surprised. Rosemary almost gasped aloud in shock.

"Darrell?"

* * *

"This is Detective Elliott Stabler, Manhattan Special Victims Unit," Elliott said into his walkie-talkie as he drove rapidly through the traffic, his siren wailing and the red dash light flashing. "Shield number 0-5-4-2-9. Requesting immediate lockdown of Mercy General Hospital and increased security around the room of Brad Fletcher, attempted murder victim and potential hit target. SVU detectives and NYPD backup are en-route."

"Copy that," the dispatcher replied and then patched the order through to the security office at Mercy General Hospital. Minutes later, guards were in place around Fletcher's room and the hospital was quickly lockdown. Just then, Elliott's cell phone rang. He picked it up and answered it.

"Stabler."

"Next time ya wanna go rushing off to play Superman, at least give your partner the heads-up," Olivia jokingly chided from her end of the line. Elliott smiled despite the gravity of the situation. Olivia could always make him smile, forget his cares. It was one of the reasons why he…he…no. He couldn't say it. He couldn't even _think_ it. But he'd already sinned, so what was the harm of admitting that he was in love with a woman that wasn't his wife and happened to be his partner of twelve years?

"Sorry, Lois Lane. I promise that I will. Where are you guys?"

"En-route to the hospital now with Munch and Fin. We should be there soon since Fin drives like a maniac!"

"Hey! You'd rather the Old Man here drive and we don't get there until twenty years after the fact?" Elliott heard Fin shoot back at Olivia playfully. He heard the two of them crack up laughing and could imagine Munch's scolding expression at yet another joke about his age being made at his expense.

"Elliott, we'll be there as soon as we can. But just promise me that you won't do anything that could jeopardize the case or your career?"

"Aw, c'mon 'Liv! When have I ever…?"

"_Promise_ me, Elliott!"

"Alright. I promise. See you guys there."

_Hang on, Rosie!_ he thought to himself as he raced through the streets of New York. _I swore I'd never let anything happen to you, and I always keep my word! I'm coming, Rosie! Just hang on!_

* * *

Meanwhile, Jacob was stuck behind an 18-wheeler in heavy traffic. Banging his fists on the column of the steering wheel, he silently cursed his luck. His associate had told him that this was the quickest way back into the city. But his associate seemed to have forgotten that this was New York City and not some small city with a small amount of people.

"This can't get any worse!" Jacob growled. Just then, the wailing of a siren could be heard. Jacob peered in his rearview mirror and saw a black, Crown Vic driving on the opposite side of the road. He felt his heart seize when he saw Detective Stabler whizzing by on his way to Mercy General Hospital. Enraged, Jacob let loose every curse word he could think of. Speedily, he picked up the phone and dialed his associate's number.

"You have the girl?" his associate asked.

"I'm stuck in traffic and it looks like the cops are gonna beat me there!" Jacob snapped.

"Freakin' cops always gotta find out everything!" his associated growled.

"This is all **your** fault! You forgot that this is New York City and that the traffic is a nightmare! And now, you're gonna yell at me and curse me and…!"

"Relax, kid. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Jacob's associate **never** admitted to making mistakes. And he **never ever** apologized for anything.

"It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. You want that in writing?"

"No, no."

"Well, just get your sorry, pretty-boy ass back to the house ASAP."

"Why?"

"Because the cops probably have the entire hospital on lockdown by now, stupid! Now, do a damn U-turn and haul ass, dogbrain! I'll be there soon. I've got some…business to attend to."

The line went dead and as Jacob turned onto a side street to make the U-turn, he couldn't help but think that the person who was in his associate's sights was gonna be as dead as the phone line. Except that they wouldn't be able to be dialed up again.

* * *

"Darrell? What…what're **you** doing here?" Rosemary shouted. Fletcher tried to sit up, but the amount of pain as well as the morphine kept him from doing so.

"I…I made bail an hour ago, and I heard over the radio that a cop got shot, so I came here in case it was your godfather," he answered. Seizing her arm, he fell to his knees. "Please forgive me, Rosemary! I'm sorry I punched you! I was drunk and stupid, and I…!"

"Darrell, let go of me, please!" Rosemary told him bluntly, trying to free herself from his grip. But it was no use. He was much stronger than her, and the only reason she'd escaped the first time was because Elliott was strong enough to get in between them.

"Please say you forgive me, Rosemary Thomas! **Please**! I can't bear to live another day with you hating my existence and cursing me!"

"Darrell, what's wrong with you? I don't hate you!" Rosemary shouted.

"Let her go!" Fletcher yelled. "Help! Help! Somebody help!" The sound of running feet could be heard as two security guards came flying into the room, guns drawn.

"Let her go!" one of them with curly, blond hair demanded, pointing his gun at Darrell's back. The bodyguard turned and looked at them with wild eyes. Then, he turned back to her.

"Please, Rosemary! I'm sorry for what I did! I didn't mean to betray you!"

"Step away from the girl, Sir, get down on the ground and put your hands on your head! This is your last warning!" the blond security guard commanded, his index finger poised on the trigger.

"What're you talking about, Darrell?"

"He…he's after you! He wants you! DON'T LET HIM GET YA KID!" her former bodyguard screamed, seizing her shirt collar. Just then, Rosemary heard a loud _BANG! _And let out a high-pitched scream that could've shattered the glass windows in the entire ward as Darrell Donnelly slumped to the floor in a lifeless heap, blood oozing from a bullet hole in his back.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dickie sat on his bed staring up at the ceiling. He'd tried to think of the words to say that would melt the huge barrier of ice between him and the girl who was once the closest friend he'd ever had, but none of them seemed to be enough. He'd screwed up big time. Maybe…maybe their friendship was ruined forever. Maybe she'd never speak to him again. But the worst "maybe" thought that came to his head was that maybe he'd been with the wrong girl this whole time and that his dream girl had been standing right in front of him like Lizzie had said. Just then, someone knocked on his door.

"Go away!" he shouted, shoving his head under his pillow. The door creaked open and Kathleen walked in, closing it behind her.

"Either you can talk to me now alone, Rich, or you can talk to me with Maureen and Lizzie jumping down your throat," Kathleen told him bluntly. "Your choice." Dickie came out from his hiding place and looked up at his second-oldest sister.

"If you came here to tell me "I told you so", don't bother. Lizzie already beat you to the punch."

"That's not why I'm here, Rich."

"Really?"

"No. I'm here to tell you that you screwed up more than you know."

"Oh great! And how is **that** any better than "I told you so"?"

"Because saying "I told you so" won't give you the facts. And here they are: you didn't just lose a good friend with this whole thing with your so-called girlfriend, Richard. You also lost a potential girlfriend, too."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh for Saint Peter's sake, Dickie! Open your eyes! Rosemary's **in love** with you!"

"You're crazy! She's my best friend! She would never…!"

"Never what, Dickie? Fall for a guy who she thought was sweet, thoughtful, athletic, a gentleman, funny, sensitive, supportive and loved beyond life itself?"

"She said all that?"

"Everything but the last one. Though she **would've** said it if you weren't so desperate to defend a girl who didn't even love you."

"Cut me some slack, Kath! I'm a teenage guy!"

"Yeah. And **that's** what worries me. That because you're a "teenage guy", you're gonna pass up a lot of good, quality girls for the fake ones who eventually turn out to be a huge waste of time and love!"

"Look, that's why there's a little thing we in the real world like to call "maturity". Sooner or later, I'll become mature enough to know what I want in a woman. Until then, I'm gonna make mistakes, Kathleen. I'm not perfect."

"And it would be wrong for me to think that, Rich. But did you ever consider that you might have just pushed Rosemary into seeking comfort and love in the arms of another guy? Namely a rookie cop who got shot and who she went rushing off to see?"

"You don't think she's falling in love with Fletcher, do you?"

"You'd better hope not. But from the way she fought Elliott to go and see him, I'd say you have some competition, bro. And now thanks to your fight over The Queen of Mean, you just gave him a huge advantage."

"Oh crap! What should I do?"

"You mean besides grovel and beg for forgiveness?"

"Yeah."

"Well, talk to her and explain why you acted how you did. I mean, it's a completely shallow reason, but at least if you acknowledge that you were being stupid, that'll get you some points with her. If you don't talk to her, then your friendship is as good as dead. And you kiss your chances of ever being her boyfriend goodbye." Richard opened his mouth to argue with what his sister just said, but decided against it. He'd lied to himself for long enough. It was time to own up to the truth. And the truth was that he was in love with Rosemary Thomas.

Kathleen smiled and then left her brother's room, confident that she'd just the stage for Dickie's triumphant comeback.

* * *

Mr. Hankett opened the door and smiled when he saw his friend and Jacob's associate standing on his doorstep. The cops had all gone their separate ways, and he was glad that he had his house back again.

"It's been a long time, Hankett," the man said. Hankett stepped back and walked inside, the man following him inside.

"Drink, old pal?" Hankett asked. The man smiled and nodded. The poor old fool was grinning like a drunk duck. All the more reason this would be so easy for him.

"Nobody saw you come, right?" Hankett asked as the two headed for the kitchen.

"Of course not," the man answered, stealthily pulling something from the pocket of his Armani suit. "And no one's going to see me leaving, either. Pity for you."

Hankett whirled around, but before he could react, the man fired the gun with the silencer straight at Hankett's head. Hankett collapsed to the floor in a heap in seconds, dead. The man smiled and took a lace handkerchief saturated in alcohol from his breast pocket. Wiping the gun clean of his prints, he placed the gun in Hankett's right hand, making sure his prints were all over it. Then, he strolled back through the open front door, closing it on his way out. Then, he walked leisurely back to his dark-blue Mercedes which was parked around the corner away from the eyes of any nosy neighbors. As he climbed into the car and started the engine, there was a familiar warmth that passed over him. He was a businessman. And a businessman could never leave anything to chance in the type of work he did.

* * *

"He was nuts. The guy wouldn't let go of her," the security guard explained to Elliott. "We told him twice to let her go. Then, he grabbed her collar. I thought he was gonna choke the life outta her, so I…I just…pulled the trigger. I…I didn't even hesitate. I…I just…did it."

"Hey. You saved that young woman's life and probably the young man's too," Elliott said comfortingly. Just then, the vibrating of a phone was heard. The security guard reached into his pocket and unlocked the screen of his Blackberry.

"It's my wife," he told the veteran cop. "She's a nurse over at Saint Elizabeth's. Guess word travels fast even in hospitals, huh? Can I…?"

"Sure. You'll have to come down to our precinct and make a formal statement, but that can wait. Go call your wife," Elliott replied, patting the guard on the shoulder. As he watched him go, Elliott felt nothing but a strange sense of relief. Sure, it was unfortunate that Rosemary had had to see her own bodyguard shot dead in front of her, and the poor kid was probably traumatized beyond belief. But on the other hand, if it'd been his goddaughter passing him by right now in a black body bag on a gurney, Elliott would probably have kicked the crap out of several people, the security guards especially.

"Elliott!" He heard her voice before he saw her running down the hallway towards him, Fin and Much right behind her.

"Where's Rosemary? How is she?"

"She's in the waiting room with a uniform. She's traumatized, but other than that, she's alright."

"And Fletcher?" Munch inquired.

"Still recovering, but Donnelly didn't touch him, either."

"Donnelly? The bodyguard who wasn't too smart when he smacked her up in front of a whole precinct of cops? How'd **he** get outta The Tombs?" Fin asked in surprise.

"I called Corrections after Rosemary ID'ed him. He made bail almost an hour ago. His wife posted it from Toronto," Elliott informed them. "Something's not right. He was clearheaded when he punched her in the precinct, but according to the guard who shot him, he was raving and ranting like a lunatic."

"What'd he say?" Fin questioned.

"Dunno. Only Rosemary heard him, according to the other guard."

"He's raving like a madman and neither of the two guards heard a word he said?" Much inquired in disbelief. "Or maybe they were too focused on rescuing the beautiful damsel-in-distress to remember that after rescuing said damsel comes a police investigation."

"Well, whatever the reason, Rosemary's the only one who knows what happened in that hospital room," Olivia told them bluntly. "I'll go talk to her."

"'Liv, this girl just saw her own bodyguard shot to death in cold blood right in front of her!" Elliott admonished. "I'm not gonna let you traumatize her further by making her relive that!"

"Elliott, you know as well as I do what happens to a witness's or a victim's memory after there's a large gap of time between the crime and when we take their statement. I won't push her, I promise."

"The second you see any signs that she's breaking down, you end it right there. Got it?"

"Got it."

* * *

Jacob sat down at the dining room table with his associate sitting at the opposite end at the head. A maid poured both the men a glass of red wine before departing from the room.

"Hankett?" Jacob asked casually, looking down at his untouched meal.

"Dealt with," his associate replied coolly, taking a sip of the wine. "He was a loose end that would've needed tying up sooner or later. In our kind of business, my friend, you cannot afford to leave anything to chance." Just then, his associate's phone beeped. He took it out, studied the screen for a moment, and then stowed the phone away, smiling.

"Good news, I hope?" Jacob said, taking a sip of his drink.

"I've just heard that our target's bodyguard was killed by a security guard at Mercy General Hospital not too long ago," the man replied. Jacob felt his lips twitching into a smile.

"Don't tell me. Another one of your…**connections**?"

"My dear boy, why would **I** want a mere bodyguard dead? Frankly, I'm shocked and surprised that you would think so little of me!"

"You find my low opinion of you a surprise? I thought you would've expected it."

"I'm wounded by your words!"

"Oh, please! Drop the act! Anything that stands between you and the target has to be eliminated, and you know it!"

"**Us** and the target, Jacob. **Us.** When the girl is finally with us, you shall have what you desire from her, and I shall have what I want from her. Don't you trust me, Jacob?"

"Of course," Jacob said, smiling slyly. "Even with the few… _minor_ obstacles, everything is still going according to plan. And if your Cheshire cat grin is any indication of your mood, we are now one step closer to Rosemary Thomas. And the hits on Hankett and Donnelly? No one else could have pulled these schemes off better! Of course I trust you. With everything going so well, I'd be a fool not to trust you …_Father_."

**Dun dun dun! So, the mystery associate is Jacob's father! And who says being a psychopath doesn't run in the family! Anyways, with their evil plan unfolding, will they succeed in kidnapping Rosemary? Will the SVU detectives figure out what's going on before it's too late? And will Dickie ever win back Rosemary's friendship (as well as her heart)? All these questions and more will be answered in the coming chapters of What Are Friends For? So, reviews please! Starting...now!**


	14. Chapter 14

What Are Friends For?

Richard "Dickie" Stabler has been best friends with the girl for years. His parents were named her godparents at birth. Now, he's seventeen years old and she's a famous, teen novelist who's visiting New York. Dickie can finally get a secret off his chest that's he been keeping for four years. But things may not go according to plan when an SVU case hits close to home. Dickie X OC, eventual E/O

**Hey!I am NOT DEAD, guys! Thank you to Queen S of Randomness 016, ILoveEmilyPrentiss8D, and svulover96 for reviewing! Keep it up! And if you guys know people on FanFic or have readers, please encourage them to read my story if you can! _Please_! I really want this story to go places! Sorry for being gone so long, guys. I was busy with my other story and life, but now I'm back! And the updates will be coming a lot more frequently! Anyways, enjoy!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or its characters! That belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC! All O/C are my property!

Chapter Fourteen

Olivia walked slowly over to the chair where Rosemary was sitting. The young woman was holding a cup of water in her two hands and stared down into it.

"Rosemary?" Olivia prodded. Rosemary looked up like a frightened animal and then visibly relaxed when she saw that it was just Olivia.

"Oh. Hey, 'Liv."

"How are you feeling?"

"OK, I guess." Olivia sat down next to the young woman.

"How's Brad?" Rosemary asked.

"He's still recovering from his other injuries, but other than that, he's fine," Olivia replied. "He should be cleared in about two days. And then, he'll need to take it easy before he takes you out anywhere."

"How did you…?"

"Call it a gut feeling."

"More like female intuition, 'Liv. Besides, with Rich thinking that his two-timing girlfriend is Little Miss Perfect, it's about time I moved on."

"Is that your brain telling you to do that, Rosie? Or your heart?" Rosemary was silent for a moment. Usually, Elliott was the only one who called her Rosie. But Olivia was almost like the older sister she'd never had, so Rosemary decided that it was alright for her to use it.

"I…I'm not sure. I think it's my mind."

"And what's your heart saying to you?"

"It's saying…give him another chance. But, 'Liv! He told me I was jealous of that girl! Imagine! **Me** jealous of **her?** HA!"

"Rosemary. Were you even just a **little** jealous?"

"I wasn't jealous of **her**. I was jealous of her being with Rich. I mean, he's an amazing guy, and I was kind of hoping that maybe…he'd…like… me."

"Well, I think he's pretty lucky to have someone like you in his life. And even if you aren't his girlfriend, I think he cares about a whole lot."

"Really?"

"Really. Now, Rosemary. We need to talk about what happened in Brad's hospital room with Darrell."

"Um…OK."

"I know you're a bit shaken up, but I need to tell me exactly what happened."

"Well…Brad had just offered to take me out to dinner once he was cleared to leave the hospital, and I accepted it when Darrell came bursting into the room. I was wondering what he was doing here. He said that a cop had gotten shot and that he'd come here just in case it was Elliott. He knew that Elliott's my godfather, so he knew I'd be here. Anyways, he…he started acting really weird."

"Can you describe what he was acting like?"

"He…grabbed my arm and was begging me to forgive him for what happened at the precinct. He thought I hated his existence. Then, Brad called for help. The guards came and they had their guns pointed at him. One of them told him to let me go, but Darrell wouldn't. After, he…he…said that he was sorry for betraying me and that…"he" was after me. The guard warned him for the last time to let me go. Then, he said, "Don't let him get ya, kid!" and he reached for my shirt collar, and…that's when…the guard…shot him. 'Liv! I-I-I-I was…s-s-s-so…s-s-s-scared!" Rosemary cried, bursting into tears. The female SVU detective wrapped her arms around the shaking girl and held her close.

"Shh! It's OK, Rosie. You did great!" Olivia whispered soothingly. Just then, Elliott came hurrying into the room with Fin and Munch right on his tail.

"Rosie! Are you alright?" Elliott asked worriedly. Rosemary sniffled and looked up at her godfather before breaking away from Olivia and running into Elliott's arms. The veteran cop hugged her tightly to him as if she was his own little girl who'd woken up from a horrible nightmare. "Hey. It's OK, Rosie. You don't have to talk about it anymore. C'mon. I'll take you back to my place and Kathy can make you some tea or hot chocolate, OK?"

"With lots of marshmallows?" she added, blushing at sounding so much like a little kid. Elliott chuckled lightly and wrapped a fatherly arm around her shoulders as he led to his car.

"Yeah, Rosie. With as many marshmallows as you can manage!"

* * *

Jacob was once again in his room reading when his father entered the room. The man wasn't livid, so that was a sign that things were still progressing well.

"Yes, Father? Has anything else happened?" Jacob asked.

"No, no, my boy. I just came up here because I feel I owe you an explanation of why I'm doing all of this to a girl who seems to be nothing but a stranger to you," his father replied, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

"You don't owe me anything, Father," he said automatically, knowing that his father might be baiting him and waiting to lose his temper.

"You're right. Let me revise that statement: I'm going to **privilege** you with the motive behind this grand schema."

"Alright, Father."

"Well, you see my boy, Miss Thomas's mother and I went to the same university, and, although we were in different programs, we met at a frat party and fell instantly in love. We dated for months, and then, one night, I was planning to propose to her when she told me she'd slept with someone else. I was devastated. The woman I was madly in love with had just admitted, without a shred of remorse, that she'd slept with another guy _while_ we were dating. I felt like such a fool, and I broke it off with her."

"Good Lord, father! I…I didn't know."

"I've kept my anger bottled up inside of me for all these years. After I graduated and made it into the business world, I read that she married some hotshot A.D.A, and, later, that she had a daughter. I was angry still. Your own mother died from cancer, Jacob, two years after you were born, and here she was with a rich husband and a baby girl. I started sending her notes and photographs of the two of us. Then, she wrote me back."

"You told me about that. She said that I wasn't good enough for her daughter, that we were just lowlife scumbags living in a twisted fantasy world! She'll pay for insulting you all these times, Father!"

"All I want, my dear boy, is for Diana Thomas to suffer the heartbreak and pain that I've suffered all these years! And when her daughter is in **our** grasp, she'll suffer heartache and despair as she's never felt it before, the two-timing whore!"

* * *

Richard Stabler was wide awake when he heard a car pull into their family's driveway. Gingerly slipping out of bed, he looked out his window and saw his father's Crown Vic car in the narrow space of the driveway. From the passenger's side of the car emerged the familiar dark-haired figure of Rosemary Thomas. He couldn't see her face clearly, but from the way Elliott was holding her, she'd probably gone through Hell and back at the hospital.

He heard a key in the lock and then heard the front door creak open. Footsteps went past Dickie's bedroom and down the wooden stairs. Stealthily, he crept across his room to his door and opened it a crack. Cursing the fact that his bedroom was close to the end of the hall and away from the stairs, Dickie figured he would have to wait until his parents were in their room before he could talk to her. That is, if she even **wanted** to talk to him.

"Hey, baby," Elliott greeted. Dickie guessed it was his mother who'd gone downstairs to see who was at the door. "Rosemary's been through a lot tonight, so could you make her a cup of hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows in it?"

"Of course," Kathy replied. "Why don't you go upstairs and change into something more comfortable first, Rosie? Your hot chocolate will probably be ready by the time you come down since I boiled the kettle before I went up not too long ago."

"Thanks, Kathy," Rosemary replied, and Dickie could hear the smile in her voice. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs and saw through the crack that the young author looked drawn and tired, her usually bright and beautiful eyes now sad and distant. He felt his heart pang in sympathy for her. Maybe Fletcher's condition had worsened. Maybe he was gone. Whatever it was, Dickie was determined that he would make up for the things he'd said to her during their fight. And being at her side when she needed a friend was a step in that direction. A small step, he was sure, but at this point, he'd give anything in the world just to have her speak to him again.

* * *

Rosemary was sitting at the Stablers' kitchen table in black sweat pants and a red tank top, sipping on a mug of hot chocolate that was swimming with giant marshmallows. Kathy and Elliott, after being reassured a dozen times that she'd be fine on her own, were in their bedroom, probably talking about the events that'd happened at Mercy General Hospital. The warm, chocolaty goodness of the cocoa soothed her troubled soul and calmed her slightly. She was still in shock about what had happened. Why was Darrell acting so crazy? And what did he mean when he said he'd betrayed her? Was he talking about when he'd punched her in the SVU squad room? There were so many questions and so very few answers.

"Hmm. Careful, Rosemary," she chuckled to herself, taking another sip of cocoa. "You're starting to sound like a cop more than a writer."

"Then maybe you should write a detective novel next," suggested a voice from the entrance to the kitchen. Rosemary turned and almost spilt hot chocolate on herself when she saw that the intruder was none other than Richard "Dickie" Stabler. He was wearing a black sleeveless shirt that showed his muscular arms with matching, cotton shorts. His hair was wet as though he'd just washed it and combed it down, and his feet were bare. She could feel his eyes roving over her, so she looked down into her cocoa before her staring gave him the wrong impression.

"Hey," he said, looking down at the kitchen tiles.

"Hi," Rosemary replied, not looking up from her mug.

"So…how's the hot chocolate?" Richard asked her.

"Pretty good," Rosemary answered. Then, she looked up and gave him a small smile. "I might've used up all the marshmallows, though." He chuckled and then looked down at the ground again.

"Rose, I…we…we need to talk."

"About what?"

"Us."

"What's there to talk about? We were friends up until today when I was trying to tell you something to save you, and you thought I was just being jealous!"

"I know, Rose. And…you were right." Rosemary's head shot up, and she looked at Rich.

"I was? I mean, I know I was. But, how'd you figure it out?"

"Let's just say I saw more than enough evidence with my own eyes to convince me that you were telling the truth." Rosemary started smirking.

"You walked in on her and Nick, didn't you?" Rich smirked back and nodded. He knew he couldn't hide anything from Rosemary, but he wasn't above trying to keep a few secrets.

"Well, I hate to say I told you so, but…I told you so!"

"OK! Alright! I've gotten enough of those from Maureen and Lizzie!"

"Can you blame them?"

"Not really. Look, Rosemary. I'm so sorry about what I said to you. You know, about being jealous of Isabelle and everything. I…I was being stupid. I thought I loved her, but now I realize that I was so used to being popular that I was willing to block out every suspicion I had about Isabelle just so I could keep my status at school and with the guys."

"As the wise man once said: to run with the crowd is to run off a cliff; but to run with true friends is to run a race that you know you will win."

"Wow. Who said that?"

"Nobody. I made it up."

"Well, you'd better copyright it, because I'm thinking of using that as my Facebook status." Rosemary laughed, smiling.

"In your dreams, Stabler! **My** saying; **my** status!"

"Oh yeah?" Rosemary abandoned her mug of cocoa on the table and walked over to Dickie, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah!" Richard smiled at her, biting his lip to keep from laughing at the ridiculous "tough girl" expression on her face. Eventually, a laugh escaped from him, followed by another and another, until it became a tumbling stream of laughter.

"I'd like to know what's so funny," Rosemary said. Dickie stopped laughing and wiped away a few tears from his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Rose," he chuckled. "It's just…the expression on your face was killing me! It was **too** funny!"

"Glad to see you find my seriousness so amazing, Rich." He stopped chuckling and pulled Rosemary into his arms, hugging her tightly.

"Oh, Rose. I know I can't say it enough times, but I'm **really** sorry. About everything. I understand if you never want to speak to me again, but I…"

"Rich, I forgive you."

"No, really. I…you do?"

"Well, **mostly. **You've still got some intense groveling to do, my friend."

"I should've seen that one coming from a mile away!"

"Yeah! You should've! But, I'm still your best friend, right?"

"You always have been, Rose. And you always will be. Till death do us part."

"Rich. This isn't a marriage ceremony."

"I know. But I take my friendships very seriously."

"As serious as marriage?" Rosemary asked, rolling her eyes.

"Hey. If I can't trust you like how I'm gonna trust my future wife, then you're not gonna be a very good friend to me," Rich explained.

"And you trust me as much as you will your future wife?"

"Absolutely, Rose." But there was a second part of that sentence that he didn't want to say aloud to her, especially considering that he'd just broken up with Isabelle. Deep down, there was a growing part of Richard "Dickie" Stabler that was hoping that the amazing best friend he had just made up with would **be** that future wife. And once that part became a whole, nobody, not even Hero Cop Brad Fletcher, was going to stand between him and Rosemary. **Nobody.**

**Aww! Isn't that just adorable? And, sheesh! Jacob's father certainly doesn't know that there's a time to let go of grudges. But is the story of Diana Thomas and him true? What will be SVU's next move? And when oh when will Rosemary and Dickie _finally_ become a couple? Stay tuned for the coming chapters of this story to find out, my faithful readers. So, reviews are what feed my creativity, so they are much appreciated starting right about...now!  
**


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